Untold Secrets: Book 1
by The Unheard Song
Summary: Hollypaw's mating an older warrior, but who is it? Follow Hollypaw's kits as they struggle to unlock the secrets of their past. Meanwhile, Lightpaw's in love with a ShadowClan warrior and Nightpaw has a secret. Why is she exhausted and sore every morning?
1. Prologue

**NOOOO!!! I thought up yet ANOTHER story idea! Hollypaw is mating with an older warrior! Who is it? Follow Hollypaw's kits as they struggle to unlock the secrets of their past…well, here's chapter 1…no wait, prologue.**

PROLOGUE

_Moonlight filtered over the lake and _turned it a watery silver color. A blue-gray she-cat paced worriedly up and down a puffy cloud above, her ears flattened with concern. "What is it, Bluestar?" A reddish brown tom padded up to the she-cat, worry spread across his face.

"Oh, Oakheart," Bluestar sighed. "Something terrible is coming." The reddish brown tom looked puzzled. "What?" he meowed.

"_Black and golden will come together, and night, ashen, thrush, and light will unite and unfold secrets never told." _

"What?" Oakheart echoed. "What does that mean?" Bluestar shook her head quickly, as if trying to clear her mind of it. "I don't know. But I know that secrets…will be untold."

**O.O Wow, dramatic, right? Okay, well, yeah. Uhm, bye, I have to go to school now (yes, I'm typing this before school!). Bye!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar**


	2. Chapter One

**Hey! I'm back with chapter 1! I really hope I get a lot of reviews for this story, because I think, even though a warrior mates an apprentice that's about a year younger than him, that this is a good idea. But I won't say who Hollypaw mates!!! Hopefully, you'll find that out later on in the story. Okay, on with chapter 1!!!**

CHAPTER 1

"_Hollypaw." The black apprentice turned to _see her brother Lionpaw trotting up to her, his golden tabby fur gleaming in the late green-leaf sun. "Want to go hunting with me? Ashfur said that our training lesson today was canceled, since he has a bellyache."

'_Oh yeah,'_ Hollypaw remembered. _'I saw him limping to Leafpool's den. I hope he's alright.'_

"So, will you go with me?" Lionpaw flicked his ears impatiently. "If we go, we'd better leave soon. We have to be back by moonrise." Hollypaw nodded, her bright green eyes glinting. "Sure!"

Lionpaw flicked his tail and dashed to the thorn entrance. "Hurry up! You're slower than a hedgehog just waking up from hibernating!" Hollypaw hissed playfully and bounded over to her brother, who was already darting up the slope to get to the top of the towering rock walls that surrounded the ThunderClan camp.

Suddenly, Hollypaw collided with something painfully. She stumbled backwards, her nose throbbing, and she glanced up with watery green eyes. Thornclaw was standing at the top of the slope, panting. "Watch where you're going!" the golden brown tabby hissed, flattening his ears. "Even a newborn kit wouldn't run into someone so blindly!"

Hollypaw felt taken aback at Thornclaw's temper, but he shouldered the black apprentice and disappeared behind a thorn bush without a word. "What the heck was that all about?" Hollypaw hissed, rage rising up her throat. She clawed at the sooty ground angrily before catching up to Lionpaw, who was a few fox-lengths ahead of her.

"Nice catch!" Lionpaw's loud voice interrupted Hollypaw's concentration on stalking a starling. The bird squawked and flew off the ground. Hollypaw leaped into the air and clawed at the bird, but missed poorly, and watched with a scowl of frustration as the bird flew into the tree above her.

"Lionpaw!" Hollypaw hissed at her brother angrily. She felt like clawing an ear off of him. She usually wasn't this temperamental, but after the run-in with Thornclaw, she was ready to claw off even a helpless kit's ear.

Suddenly, something ran through Hollypaw's mind that confused her. "Wait, what? I didn't catch anything yet."

Lionpaw looked puzzled and dropped the rabbit he was holding, the light brown creature's fur matted with blood. "Yeah, there's a vole, right there. You didn't catch it?"

Hollypaw shook her head and followed Lionpaw's gaze to the large tree where the starling had flown. At the base of the tree was a freshly caught vole.

"What?" Hollypaw was confused. "I didn't catch that." Suddenly, Lionpaw sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. "Something smells like…crowfood." Hollypaw parted her jaws slightly to let the scent reach the scent glands on the roof of her mouth. Yes, the smell was unmistakable; the sour smell of crowfood hung in the air loosely and made Hollypaw want to retch, but she held in the urge to cough.

"Should we follow the scent?" Lionpaw asked Hollypaw as if his sister were to make all the decisions. "Well, of course we should, you badgerbrain! For all we know, the scent may lead to anything that could harm our Clan!" Hollypaw pointed out. She flicked her tail for her brother to follow her and she flared her nostrils for any stronger scent of the crowfood.

Hollypaw tracked down the scent quickly, while Lionpaw stayed behind, keeping guard for any warriors that might want to send the exploring apprentices back to camp. "Hollypaw!" Lionpaw meowed loudly. "Shh!" Hollypaw hissed at her brother. "We have to stay quiet! Whatever it is, if we're near it, it may hear us and come after us!"

Lionpaw ducked his head embarrassingly. "Sorry! I just wanted to say; I think I found a scent! But it's not crowfood. It's a ThunderClan cat!"

Hollypaw noticed for the first time that a scent of a ThunderClan cat hung in the air. Suddenly, a clump of bracken waved wildly, and a loud crash followed by a startled hiss soon made Hollypaw think that whoever it was, was having a tough time in the bracken.

"Hello?" Lionpaw called out hoarsely. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Suddenly, a tortoiseshell and white she-cat plummeted out of the fronds of bracken and bowled straight into Lionpaw. The golden tabby tom, startled, hissed in surprise and scrabbled to his paws, panting. "Poppypaw?" Hollypaw snarled. "What are you doing here?"

The tortoiseshell and white she-cat shrugged. "Well, I just came out here because Mousefur was complaining that her nest was too damp, and Ferncloud wanted me to get more feathers for her nest because she was uncomfortable, and so I just…" Poppypaw's voice trailed off.

Finally, the tortoiseshell and white apprentice meowed, "What are you two doing?" Lionpaw and Hollypaw exchanged glances. "Have you killed a piece of prey and left it here to rot? Because I smell crowfood."

"We smelled that too," Lionpaw mewed, "and now we're trying to follow the scent and see whatever it is. We want to protect the Clan!" Hollypaw despised the hint of arrogance in the young tom's voice, but she curled her lip but didn't say anything about it.

"Do you think I could come along?" Poppypaw's green eyes lit up. "I want to protect the Clan too!"

Hollypaw shrugged. "You'll have to be much more quiet than you were when you were trying to 'creep' up on us in the bracken. Otherwise saying you can't trample along the bracken. And you have to whisper, and keep low to the ground."

Poppypaw nodded eagerly. "That doesn't sound too hard. And I wasn't trampling in the bracken; that was my best hunter's crouch! I guess I need to work on that a bit more with Thornclaw." Poppypaw pouted.

Hollypaw pictured the image of Thornclaw in her head. The stubborn tom had gotten off her mind, and now that Poppypaw was bringing him up again, she felt even more aggravated with the warrior! Hollypaw hissed as she thought of the quarrel she had had earlier with him.

Lionpaw and Poppypaw watched, puzzled, and finally, Lionpaw flicked his tail. "Let's go now."

**Jeez, this is a long chapter! Wow, poor Hollypaw! Meanie Thornclaw! Okay, well, to tell you the truth, I haven't really gotten to ****The Sight**** or ****The Dark River**** yet, so please don't claw my fur off if I get personalities wrong. Please help me out with telling me what all the apprentices' personalities are like, because I haven't gotten to read that far. I'm only on ****Twilight****! –Sob, sob- Okay! Bye bye! Please please please PLEASE review!!!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar**


	3. Chapter Two

**Yay! I'm back! And I still don't feel very well…but oh well. Special thanks to my two reviewers Liza Taylor and Gladewing for helping me with apprentice personalities. Thanks so much! Okay, well, onwards we go!**

CHAPTER 2

_Hollypaw was aware of her brother's _golden tabby pelt brushing against hers as they crept through the forest. Poppypaw was mumbling about something stuck in her paw pad behind them, but Hollypaw tried her best to ignore the clumsy apprentice.

"It's stronger here," Lionpaw pointed out quietly, wrinkling up his nose from the pungent smell. Hollypaw nodded and Poppypaw suddenly hissed in pain. The black apprentice rolled her green eyes and turned to look at Poppypaw. The tortoiseshell and white she-cat was tugging on a twig in her pad.

Hollypaw sighed in frustration, stalked over to the struggling apprentice, and yanked the twig out of her paw. Poppypaw yowled in pain and her wailing turned into a soft whimpering. Lionpaw bristled. Suddenly, there were pawsteps in the bushes. The bush waved wildly and the pawsteps faded away.

"What was that?" Poppypaw asked quietly. Hollypaw hissed. "Whatever it was, you scared it off with your insane wailing!"

Bristling, Hollypaw stalked off in the direction of the camp. Once she was at the top of the thorn tunnel, she saw a patrol of cats coming up the slope. The patrol consisted of Cloudtail, Spiderleg, and Mousepaw.

Once Hollypaw brushed by the patrol, Mousepaw whispered in her ear, "What's the matter? Did the wind mess up your fur?" He snickered as Hollypaw hissed and bounded down the slope into the stone hollow.

Everything seemed orderly. Ferncloud was lying outside the nursery while her two kits Icekit and Foxkit crawled all over her like furry ants. Dustpelt and Birchfall sat nearby, twitching their whiskers in amusement. Hazelpaw and Honeypaw were practicing their battle moves outside the apprentices' den. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw lay nearby sharing a finch. No cat seemed to notice that something was somewhere in their territory.

Hollypaw watched Brackenfur longingly. The golden brown tabby was eating beside Ashfur. The tabby tom was so delicate, so fierce and brave, so loyal, so…Sorreltail's…

Suddenly, Hollypaw felt her ears growing hot. That wasn't Brackenfur that she was staring at so lovingly-it was Thornclaw! She hissed furiously at herself and flicked her ears in embarrassment as Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw turned to stare strangely at their daughter. Squirrelflight murmured something to the dark tabby, who just nodded and watched as his mate stood up and padded over to Hollypaw.

"Is something the matter?" Squirrelflight asked, licking her daughter's ear. "Is it just what Thornclaw said to you this morning?" Hollypaw flicked her ears again. "You saw that?" She ducked her head in embarrassment.

Squirrelflight nodded and shrugged. "I'm not sure about why he hates you. But I do know one thing-he sure looks like his brother Brackenfur, huh?" Humiliation crept up Hollypaw's throat like bile, and she felt like running into the apprentices' den, hiding under a moss nest, and never coming out again. Her mother knew how she mistook Thornclaw for Brackenfur. "Y-yes, I suppose so," Hollypaw stammered. "But I could care less." She turned her head away from her mother but peeked a green eye at her mother.

Squirrelflight twitched her whiskers. "Right." And then the flame-colored she-cat padded back to her mate, her tail held high.

Hollypaw sighed and watched as Thornclaw and Ashfur dig the prey bones up in the dirt. Was she in love with Brackenfur?

**Uhhhhh…you guys don't think this chapter is too short, do you? Well, I hope you guys like it so far! Adios!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	4. Chapter Three

Okay, um, hi. I'm just gonna get on with the story now… 

CHAPTER 3

_Jaypaw glanced around. He could feel_ light pawsteps in the ground and scent a strange cat coming. "Jaypaw," a she-cat's voice whispered. Jaypaw opened his eyes. He could see!

A blue-gray she-cat stood before him. "Why…who…why can I see, and who are you?" Jaypaw stammered. "I am Bluestar. I have come with a message for you." Jaypaw grunted. "Whatever it is, it must require being able to see, even when I'm not dreaming." Bluestar purred. "Jaypaw, you're brave and strong, and being blind won't stop you. What's in your heart will."

"Anyways." Bluestar turned around and flicked her tail at four tiny bright balls in the air. "Are those stars?" Jaypaw asked. "I've always wanted to know what they looked like." Bluestar shook her head. "Ah, but stars in Silverpelt are usually much smaller and dimmer than these."

Suddenly, many other stars shone behind the four bigger ones. "Can you tell me why these four stars are so much bigger and brighter than the others, Jaypaw?" Bluestar questioned. Jaypaw shrugged. "Maybe because…the cat that it represents is bigger and stronger and more powerful than the rest."

Bluestar shook her head again. "No, Jaypaw. Something is coming that will change the fate of the Clan forever. _Black and golden will come together, and night, ashen, thrush, and light will unite and unfold secrets never told."_

Jaypaw stared at Bluestar as if she had just leaped into a dog's jaws on purpose. "What? How am I supposed to understand that?" Bluestar didn't answer. Instead a flash of light shone behind her and the blue-gray she-cat was outlined in light. "Prepare yourselves," she warned as she began to disappear, "for the coming secrets…"

Jaypaw gasped awake. "Jaypaw?" The scent of Leafpool flooded over him as he stood up and shook his gray pelt. "What's the matter?" Leafpool asked. "Nothing," Jaypaw muttered, licking his paw and drawing it over his ear. "Good, because we're having a lesson today on how to make traveling herbs."

Jaypaw felt Leafpool pad away for a moment, then came out with some strong-smelling herbs. "Smell this," Leafpool ordered, lifting up the leaf and setting it down at Jaypaw's paws. The gray tabby apprentice lowered his head and smelled it deeply. "Okay, what do I do with it?" Leafpool shook her head. "There's more."

She nudged a berry to Jaypaw and instructed him to scent it. He did, and she gave him a seed. Jaypaw drew in a breath, inhaling the scent of the seed. "Now," Leafpool meowed, laying out the leaf and drawing her paw over it to flatten it out, "take two of the seeds and place them in the leaf. Take the berry and put it there too. Then wrap the leaf up into a bundle, and you've got traveling herbs."

Leafpool passed Jaypaw the herbs and let him try it. Jaypaw bent his head down and smelled the herbs. He picked up the leaf with his teeth and flattened it out. Then he picked up the two seeds and the berry and laid them gently on the leaf. He began to roll up the leaf until it was tightly bundled.

"Good," Leafpool meowed. Suddenly, a thin wailing broke out in the camp before Leafpool could say anything else. The two medicine cats leaped to their paws and dashed out of the den. Jaypaw couldn't see what was going on, but he scented blood and fear. "Mousepaw! What happened?" Jaypaw heard Leafpool cry.

It was Spiderleg who spoke this time. "I took Mousepaw hunting and he trod on a thorn! I think…I think it got driven in there pretty deep. I tried to pull it out but it wouldn't come out! Please help him."

Jaypaw darted to Leafpool's side and smelled the air. The scents of Mousepaw and blood hung heavily in the air. "Jaypaw," Leafpool turned to her apprentice. "I've never taught you this, so please listen carefully. Lick his pad first." Jaypaw crouched down and began to rasp his tongue reluctantly over the gray and white tom's paw pad. He tried not to get his tongue caught on the thorn, or else that would be painful.

"Then gently pull it out," Leafpool ordered. Jaypaw took the thorn in his teeth and pulled it out slowly. The smell of blood got stronger as blood spurted out of Mousepaw's paw. "Okay, Mousepaw," Leafpool meowed. "Just give it a good licking until the blood stops. If you need anything to make the pad softer, just come to my den and ask me or Jaypaw for some yarrow." Mousepaw didn't say anything; he was too busy swiping his tongue over his bleeding paw pad.

"Jaypaw, you did great!" Leafpool praised. Jaypaw twitched his ears but said nothing. "I suppose you can go eat now, since you know how to make the traveling herbs." Jaypaw dipped his head and padded to the fresh-kill pile. He drew his nose over the prey and selected a thrush. Then he went over by the apprentices' den to eat.

"Well, if it isn't the blind one!" a voice sneered. Jaypaw glanced up, trying to indicate who it was who said that, but he scented nothing. He felt pawsteps on the ground and suddenly, the scent of Berrypaw hovered over his muzzle. "Just because you helped Mousepaw today doesn't mean you'll ever learn how to fight and hunt. You're better off being a medicine cat! You could never handle the jobs of a warrior!"

Berrypaw snickered and Jaypaw felt the pawsteps again, but they soon faded. He hissed furiously; not at Berrypaw, but at StarClan. He lifted his head and yowled, "Why? Why do I have to be blind?"

"Jaypaw," a voice meowed. "Go away! I'm not talking to you." Jaypaw pointed his muzzle the other way, away from the cat, until his mother's scent reached his senses. "Squirrelflight?" he mewed. "Jaypaw, there's no need to be ashamed of what your talents are," Squirrelflight meowed, sitting beside her son.

"But Squirrelflight," Jaypaw protested, swallowing a bite of thrush, "I have no talents. Berrypaw is right-I'd never be able to handle a _real_ warrior's jobs because I can't see!" Squirrelflight purred and drew her tongue across her son's ear. "Jaypaw, you have many talents. I bet I could name three, right off the top of my head."

"Oh yeah? Prove it," Jaypaw challenged. "Okay," Squirrelflight mewed. "You have a very strong sense of smell and you can always tell when some cat is coming to the camp, right? Remember when you told me you could tell when Spiderleg was coming to the camp when he found a dead fox?" Jaypaw shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"And you are a wonderful medicine cat. You can identify each herb because of your nose," Squirrelflight suggested. "You can also feel the vibration of pawsteps in the ground. See? StarClan made you blind for a reason, Jaypaw. Maybe your destiny is to be the first blind medicine cat."

Jaypaw shook his head. "I'm nothing special, Squirrelflight. Maybe I was meant to be, but if I was, I don't want to be. I want to be the first cat who was blind and miraculously could see again."

**Lolzies Jaypaw. Haha! I made him funny. Kinda. I'm not exactly sure how Jaypaw acts towards Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, and Leafpool, so could you reviewers out there give me a few hints, please? I really wish I read ****The Sight****, but at least I'm almost done with ****Twilight****. Please review! Tootles!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	5. Chapter Four

**Yo, I'm back already! Here's chapter 4! Also, this is very important. Please answer this. When did Cinderpaw fall from the tree? During ****The Sight**** or ****The Dark River****? I'm making this take place in the middle of ****The Sight****, so Graystripe isn't back yet. **

CHAPTER 4

_Hollypaw hated how Poppypaw kept sucking _up to her. "Oh, Hollypaw! I'm so sorry about being so noisy and scaring that thing off! How about we go and try to hunt it down again! I promise, I'll be more quiet!" Poppypaw was like a bothersome tick on your back that you couldn't get off, no matter how many times you bit at it and scratched it.

Hollypaw awoke feeling damp and wet. Rain was pouring down hard and thunder boomed somewhere in the distance. There went the hunting patrol with Brackenfur and Dustpelt. She sighed and pushed her way out of the den. The stone walls gleamed in the rain and water snaked down them.

She padded to the fresh-kill pile, but for some reason, she didn't seem hungry. She trudged back to the apprentices' cave, where Honeypaw was just padding out, stretching her limbs. The pale golden tabby looked tired and weary. "Good morning, Hollypaw," she meowed sheepishly, and stumbled to the fresh-kill pile where she almost bumped into Cloudtail.

_Strange…_Hollypaw thought. _Honeypaw is usually always in a good mood…_

"Hollypaw!" a voice growled. Hollypaw's black fur stood on end as Dustpelt came trudging over to his apprentice. "Have you forgotten about the hunting patrol?" Hollypaw shrugged. "I thought, well, y' know…since it's raining so hard I didn't think any prey would be out." Dustpelt glanced over his shoulder at Brackenfur, who was sitting beside him nodding.

"Well…that still doesn't give you permission to just lay here and do nothing! Go get the elders some more moss for their bedding!" The brown senior warrior swung his massive tabby head around and stalked back to the thorn bush that was the warriors' den. Hollypaw found herself staring into Brackenfur's amber eyes. Hollypaw bristled, and forced herself to tear her gaze away from his and stare off at the stone walls.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey meet beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar had leapt up onto the pile of rocks and yowled for the cats to gather below. Brackenfur turned and bounded over to Firestar's meeting place. Lionpaw, Hazelpaw, and Poppypaw were just exiting the apprentices' den, and so Hollypaw stood up and followed them as well. She sat down beside Hazelpaw and glanced around. Brackenfur had settled himself between Sandstorm and Ashfur. He didn't even bother to look around for his apprentice.

"Brambleclaw led the dawn patrol today with Whitewing and Honeypaw," Firestar announced. "Brambleclaw, tell us what you scented." The tabby deputy dipped his head and leaped up a bit higher from the place where he was sitting, which was a rock below the Highledge. "It smelled like crowfood was somewhere. Whitewing followed the scent and we all began tracking it, but Honeypaw sneezed and it darted away. We still never found out what it was, but I saw a fluffy ginger tail-tip."

Mousefur, a dusky brown elder, called from the crowd, "Could it be a fox?" Hollypaw felt a shiver from ear to tail-tip. The Clan had never encountered a pack of foxes, but when Hollypaw was a kit she remembered Mousefur telling her about a badger attack that had killed two ThunderClan warriors.

"We didn't know if it was a fox or anything," Brambleclaw admitted. "But we weren't sure if it was a cat or a fox. It smelled like neither, though." Firestar nodded. "Thank you, Brambleclaw. From now on, we will have two patrols. One will always be checking that area, and the other will keep watch of the borders. No apprentice may leave the camp without a warrior with them. All kits must always be supervised. No cat will go out alone."

Firestar flicked his tail and leaped down, but Brambleclaw took his place once again. "Sandstorm, you lead the patrol that will check the area. Take a warrior and an apprentice with you." The pale ginger she-cat peeled from the group of cats and beckoned Brightheart and Lionpaw. "Thornclaw, you lead the border patrol. Take Hollypaw and Sorreltail."

Hollypaw hissed to herself. Why couldn't Thornclaw decide who he was taking, like Sandstorm did? He definitely wouldn't have chosen Hollypaw as one of the cats. She reluctantly followed the golden brown tabby to the thorn barrier.

**Well, not much of a cliffie there. Lolzies :P Well, please pretty please with catmint and fresh-kill on top will you review! And please tell me Cinderpaw falls! I reeeeeally need to know! Bye byes!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	6. Chapter Five

**Hi, I'm back already. Okay. Here we go.**

CHAPTER 5

_Hollypaw followed Sorreltail and Thornclaw down _the thorn barrier and felt the soot underneath her paws begin to slant upwards. She felt reluctant to have to go with Thornclaw, but something inside her stirred and fluttered like a new baby bluebird just stretching its wings, looking forward to its new life in the skies.

"Hollypaw." Sorreltail fell into step with the black apprentice. "Have you noticed something wrong with Honeypaw lately? I've been concerned about her. She's always so tired and she never seems hungry. I'm thinking about having Leafpool check her out and make sure she's fine, but I'm not sure Honeypaw wants to miss out on her hunting and training, and patrols…" The tortoiseshell she-cat's voice trailed off.

Hollypaw shrugged. "This morning she seemed exhausted. I've been a bit tired lately, too. I don't have much of an appetite, either." Sorreltail looked concerned. "Maybe…maybe you shouldn't come on the patrol. Maybe you should go and get some rest." Hollypaw shook her head quickly and sniffed. "I would do anything for my Clan, even if I was about to fall to the ground dead!" Sorreltail twitched her whiskers and speeded up to catch up with Thornclaw.

The two warriors were chatting quietly, while Hollypaw dragged herself after them, barely being able to keep up. She felt so tired and she didn't quite know why. She flicked rain off on whiskers and tried hard to keep her quick pace. She usually wasn't this slow!

Suddenly, Sorreltail darted forwards. "I found horsetail!" she exclaimed. "Leafpool said she would never find any! But I have some!" The warrior turned back to Thornclaw. "May I please collect some horsetail for Leafpool? I know she'll need some! You two go on with patrol without me; I'll catch up later." Thornclaw shrugged and turned to Hollypaw.

Hollypaw felt her fur bristle. First of all, she was exhausted and in the rain, shivering and freezing wet. Second of all, she had to patrol with this lump of crowfood! She felt like clawing that smirk off of Thornclaw's face, and she wondered how she managed to keep sitting instead of attacking the golden brown tabby.

"Come on, we should get going if we want to finish this patrol by twilight," Thornclaw muttered to Hollypaw, flicking his tail as he strolled by. Hollypaw rolled her eyes and followed him.

Suddenly, Thornclaw crouched down and began to creep forward. His amber eyes were on a starling that pecked at the ground. Hollypaw felt her nose itch, and she sneezed hard. The starling squawked and darted into the nearest tree. Thornclaw rose to his paws and turned to glare at Hollypaw. The black she-cat shrugged and smiled smugly at him. He growled and continued onward.

The sour stench of ShadowClan filled Hollypaw's nostrils as the cats got closer to the border. They soon came to a dead sapling flooded with ShadowClan smell. Hollypaw and Thornclaw made their way through the marshes down the border.

"So, uh…" Hollypaw realized this was her chance to ask Thornclaw why he hated her. "Why, uh…" Thornclaw swung his head back at her. "What? What could you possibly need?" Hollypaw felt taken aback, but wasn't surprised at the tabby's harsh tone.

"Um…" Hollypaw searched for the right words. "Why do you hate me so much?" Thornclaw looked surprised at the apprentice's question, but answered reluctantly, "Maybe…it's not hate." Hollypaw wonder what he meant. "What?"

Thornclaw shuffled his paws. "Well…I don't hate you. Maybe I'm just…hiding something." He turned back around so that the back of his head was facing Hollypaw. "What are you hiding?" the black she-cat asked.

"You don't get it, do you?" Thornclaw meowed. "I'm hiding something from you with harsh words, rude comments, and angry glares. Can't you see? I'm in love with a cat I'm not supposed to be in love with!"

Hollypaw felt dread creeping up her throat. "Wh…who?" Thornclaw swung his head around to glare at her with blazing amber eyes. "I'm in love with _you_!"

**O.O OMFG!!! Thornclaw loves Hollypaw!!!!!! EEP! Okay, wow. This is an interesting chapter! You thought Brackenfur was going to fall in love with Hollypaw, right? Well, guess what? YOU'RE WRONG!!! Lolzies! This was a fun chapter to write! Okay, well, I'll get onto writing the next chapter ASAP! Byes!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	7. Chapter Six

Yes! I'm onto the next chapter! This should be quite interesting…thanks a bunch for all your nice reviews:D :D :D CHAPTER 6 

_All those times when Thornclaw had _made fun of Hollypaw, all the times where Thornclaw got on her nerves and made her angry, they all just disappeared. What came in front of those memories was Hollypaw's affection for the golden brown warrior.

"Thornclaw, I…" Hollypaw couldn't find the right words. The tabby tom stared at his paws, panting as if he had just run all the way from the camp to the ShadowClan border.

"Thornclaw, Hollypaw!" Sorreltail's voice interrupted Hollypaw and Thornclaw. "I caught a young pheasant!" Hollypaw, though still shocked at Thornclaw's confession, was amazed at the tortoiseshell warrior. No cat had ever caught a pheasant, or, at least that Hollypaw could remember, even if she was just a very young apprentice.

"Great!" Thornclaw exclaimed, padding over to the multicolored she-cat. The horsetail was still clamped in Sorreltail's jaws, and the pheasant lay on the ground, blood seeping out of the fang marks in its throat.

Hollypaw still couldn't say anything. When Sorreltail noticed the eerie silence between the two cats, she mewed, "Is something the matter? Were you two having conversation before I came back? If you did, I can just go hunt some more…" Thornclaw shook his head. "Nothing's the matter. We should keep patrolling."

Hollypaw felt surprised and disgusted, but at the same time she felt joyful. She felt like rolling on the ground beside Thornclaw, feeling the warmth of his fur on her flank, the leaves crackling beneath her…

"Hollypaw," Sorreltail meowed, "do you understand what we're going to do?" Hollypaw was puzzled. "What?"

"We were talking about where we were going to stop the patrol and go back to camp," Sorreltail explained. "Did you even hear a word Thornclaw said?" Hollypaw didn't dare glance at the golden brown warrior, but her guess was that he was looking away from her as well.

Hollypaw shook her head and heard Sorreltail sigh, frustrated. "Hollypaw, I think you'd better go back to camp. If you're not going to pay attention to the plans, then you shouldn't get to have the privilege of coming along on patrols. Send Cinderpaw up here, please, to take your place."

Hollypaw felt taken aback, but did as the tortoiseshell warrior said, and hurried back to camp. The sun was a bright scarlet and was poking through the tree branches, sending shafts of orange light beaming on the forest ground. Hollypaw trotted into the camp and searched for the familiar dark gray pelt of Cinderpaw.

She saw the apprentice padding out of the elders' den with a satisfied look on her face. "Hey, Cinderpaw!" Hollypaw called, bounding over to the gray she-cat. Cinderpaw glanced up and her huge blue eyes brightened. "Hollypaw!" she meowed. "Look, I need you to go find Sorreltail and Thornclaw on the evening patrol by the ShadowClan border," Hollypaw told the apprentice.

"What?" Cinderpaw looked puzzled. "Why? Aren't you supposed to be on the patrol?" Hollypaw nodded. "Then why aren't you there now? Cinderpaw asked.

"Because…" Hollypaw racketed her brain to find a good excuse. She didn't dare tell Cinderpaw about what she'd done wrong. "I have a bellyache," Hollypaw lied. Cinderpaw eyed the black apprentice up and down. "You look fine to me," she commented. Hollypaw shrugged and dragged her tail in the dust to make it look as if she were in pain. "It doesn't matter how I look," Hollypaw snapped. "Just get to Sorreltail and Thornclaw!" Cinderpaw nodded and dashed out of the camp.

Hollypaw was a bit worried about the fluffy gray she-cat. Firestar said that no apprentices were allowed out of the camp without a warrior. She knew if Brambleclaw or Firestar were out in the forest that Cinderpaw would be in big trouble if she got caught.

Hollypaw's belly was aching a bit, so she bounded lightly to the medicine cat's den. She saw Leafpool and Jaypaw inside. Leafpool was giving Jaypaw a fat black root. Jaypaw had his head bent over and was sniffing the root. "Comfrey," he meowed, lifting his head. "Great, now what is it used for?" Leafpool asked. "To heal broken bones and to soothe wounds," Jaypaw replied with a matter-of-fact voice.

"Good job," Leafpool praised. She glanced up as she was gathering the black root in her paws. She pushed it aside. "Yes, what is it, Hollypaw?" The black she-cat shrugged. "I just had a little bellyache, is all, but if you're in the middle of a lesson-"

Leafpool stood up and shook her light tabby coat. "No, I'll get you something. Lie down for a moment, while I go get some juniper." Hollypaw settled down beside her brother, who had his nose in the air. "Hollypaw," Jaypaw whispered. "I…I need to ask you something. I think this might be about you."

Hollypaw was confused, but she mewed, "Sure. Anything, Jaypaw." The gray tabby began. "I had a dream that I was in a dark place. This cat-Bluestar- was talking to me about a prophecy. It went something like this: _Black and golden will come together, and night, ashen, thrush, and light will unfold secrets untold."_

Hollypaw felt a shiver race down her spine. _'I'm black, and Thornclaw is golden. We will come together…does he mean we will become mates? Will we have kits? What does he mean by 'secrets untold'?'_

Hollypaw stood up. "Jaypaw, I-" Before she could say anything else, Leafpool padded in with purple berries in her mouth and set them at her white paws. She ordered Hollypaw to roll onto her back. "Does it hurt here?" Leafpool pressed her paw gently over the middle of Hollypaw's belly.

The black apprentice shook her head. "It's somewhere in my chest. Very faint, though." Leafpool rubbed her paw over Hollypaw's chest. "Honeypaw and Icekit have fallen ill with a fever today. I don't want to take any chances." Leafpool pressed her nose against Hollypaw's forehead. "You feel a little warm. Perhaps you shouldn't train tomorrow?"

Hollypaw stood up and shook the soot off her coat. "I'm fine, really, Leafpool. I feel better now; my chest doesn't hurt anymore." Leafpool shook her head. "I'm afraid if you have a fever you must stay in the medicine cat's den. I'm sorry, Hollypaw." The black she-cat sighed and wished she had never come to Leafpool's den.

**Haha, poor Hollypaw. But oh well! I will see you in the next chapter! Sayonara! **

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	8. Chapter Seven

**Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time! I was grounded T.T my mom is mean…okay yeah. Let's begin now.**

CHAPTER 7

_Hollypaw awoke to the sound of _rain pattering against the soot camp. She shifted in her moss nest and glanced around. She was still in Leafpool's den. Icekit, one of Ferncloud's kits, and Honeypaw were lying in a nest beside her. Icekit was sleeping but Honeypaw was awake and grooming her pale ginger tabby fur.

Leafpool's voice rang inside the medicine cat's den. "Set him down easy," she meowed. Hollypaw leaped out of her nest and poked her head out of the cave to see Leafpool and Mousefur carrying Longtail. The pale tabby had his eyes closed and his tail was dragging in the dust.

Hollypaw took a pawstep into the den and watched as Leafpool felt his forehead with her small pink nose and licked between the tom's ears. "He has a fever," Leafpool reported. "Lay him right in there in the moss next to Icekit." Hollypaw turned tail and raced back to her nest, leaped in, and curled her tail over her nose.

Mousefur and Leafpool dragged Longtail to the nest and laid him in the nest. Suddenly, Jaypaw appeared in the den. "Leafpool?" he called. "Have Mousefur and Longtail been here? I can scent them."

"In here, Jaypaw," Leafpool meowed. "Longtail has a fever and Mousefur just came to help me carry him to the den." The gray tabby tom padded into the sick cats' den. He slowly sniffed among the nests and with his nose above Hollypaw's head, he hissed, "Hollypaw? Are you sick too?"

Hollypaw shrugged. "I don't care; I just want to go train with Brackenfur. I never get to anymore." Jaypaw didn't seem to be listening; instead he was racing out of the den and coming back with a small purple flower in his jaws. "Here's some lavender," he meowed, placing the flower on the ground.

Hollypaw was impressed at the young blind tom's progress. He had to learn what the herbs were called, the best places to find them, and what to use them for. Jaypaw, being blind, also had to learn to be able to scent the herb and know that it was a certain one. Hollypaw remembered some of the herbs, more than the usual warrior, because she had used to be a medicine cat apprentice before Jaypaw had.

"Hollypaw." Leafpool's voice broke through her thoughts. "I don't think you have a fever anymore, but eat this lavender, just in case. Then you can go back out. I want you to take it easy, okay? Don't be out in the rain training with Brackenfur, or hunting. You might want to get the elders and queens their prey and clean out their bedding, but other than that, try to stay in your den."

Hollypaw sighed and rolled her eyes at her mother's sister. Leafpool was her aunt, but Squirrelflight gave her permission to act as if the tabby she-cat were her kits' mother. Leafpool and Squirrelflight were _that_ close. When she was a kit, Lionpaw, Jaypaw, and she used to hear stories from the elders about Squirrelflight having a dream about when Leafpool was captured by Twolegs. The dream brought the ginger she-cat to the captured cats, but sadly, ThunderClan's former deputy Graystripe was taken there.

The black apprentice padded out into the clearing. Everything was calm and normal. There was still no sign of the strange crowfood scent. Whitewing and Birchfall were sitting beside the warrior's den sharing a sparrow. Firestar, Brambleclaw, Dustpelt, and Sandstorm sat beneath the Highledge, talking and eating. Hazelpaw and Lionpaw were practicing a battle move outside the apprentices' den.

"Hollypaw." A deep voice startled the black she-cat and she spun around. A golden brown tabby tom stood behind her, his amber eyes full of embarrassment and sorrow. It was Thornclaw.

"Th…Thornclaw," Hollypaw stuttered, her green eyes staring at her paws. "I, uh, was in Leafpool's den. I, um, she said I, uh, had a fever, but I'm fine now, I think." Thornclaw only stared intently into Hollypaw's green eyes sadly. "Hollypaw, can we please, um…come over here and talk for a minute?" The fur on Hollypaw's neck prickled as they crept through the brambles and out of the camp.

A large, heavy drop of rain splashed onto Hollypaw's forehead, trickling down into her green eye and making her blink hard. "I, um…wanted to ask you, if…" Thornclaw's voice trailed off.

"Thornclaw…" A wave of anxiety made Hollypaw sway on her paws. What would happen if they mated? It was against the warrior code for an apprentice to mate, especially a senior warrior. Would they have kits? What would happen if Firestar found out about his grandkit mating one of his finest warriors?

"…I don't think this will work," Hollypaw finished. "I love you too, so much that I would give you my life if you were dying. But…me? I'm…I'm an apprentice. It's against the warrior code, right? I can't imagine us mating. I really can't. But I love you so much, Thornclaw."

**Ooooooooh! Hollypaw admitted!!!!! Uh, all I have to say is…PLEASE REVIEW!!!! xD**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Okay, I'm back, but I have nothing to say. So yeah. Here we go now.**

CHAPTER 8

_Sadness and grief filled Thornclaw's amber _eyes. "Oh, I understand, Hollypaw," he murmured, his tail drooping. "No, no, no!" Hollypaw shrieked. "No, it's not like that, Thornclaw! It's not! Please understand! I want to be with you more than anything! But it won't work, Thornclaw! Love doesn't always work! Remember Leafpool and Crowfeather? Leafpool is a medicine cat, and Crowfeather is from another Clan. That didn't work! Please, Thornclaw…I love you!"

Thornclaw turned slowly, his eyes glued to the ground, and began to drag himself back to the bramble walls. "Thornclaw, I love you…" Hollypaw whispered as the rain began to fall harder. She watched in grief as the golden tabby trudged back into the camp, his tail dragging in the dust.

Hollypaw almost leapt onto his tail and pulled him back to her to explain more, but she was amazed at how she held herself in place. She waited until the tip of Thornclaw's golden tail had disappeared, and then she flopped to the ground. "No!" she wailed. "StarClan, why? I love him! Can't we be together?"

"Hollypaw?" A soft voice interrupted Hollypaw's prayer. A fluffy dark gray she-cat padded over to Hollypaw with a wad of moss dangling from her jaws. "Cinderpaw!" Hollypaw squeaked in surprise and leaped to her paws. Cinderpaw dropped the moss into a pile of other mosses and sat down, curling her fluffy tail around her paws. "What's the matter? What was all your yowling about?"

Hollypaw hesitated. Did she dare tell the gray she-cat about her love for Thornclaw? Hollypaw shook her head. "Nothing. Uh, Lionpaw just got a thorn stuck in his pad and we were sharing tongues over here. I didn't want him to go onto Leafpool's den." Cinderpaw didn't look convinced. "Why should it be that big of a deal? It's just a thorn."

"I, uh…um, we were talking about something important, and I was upset because I thought I would forget what we were talking about when he came back," Hollypaw lied. Cinderpaw looked unconvinced, but she didn't say anything, except twitch her tail-tip. "Are you clearing out the elders' used moss?" Hollypaw decided to change the subject before Cinderpaw asked any more questions.

Cinderpaw sighed. "Yes, and I wish I didn't have to do it alone. Would you please come help me?" Hollypaw nodded. "Sure."

"I already cleaned out Mousefur and Longtail's nests, but Longtail won't be in his nest for a while. I heard he came down with a fever. So maybe we could take out Ferncloud's nest and get Mousefur and Ferncloud some fresh-kill…I also want to see if Honeypaw is feeling well enough to eat something," Cinderpaw explained the plan.

Hollypaw had barely heard the fluffy gray she-cat, but she nodded understandingly and followed Cinderpaw to the nursery. "Hi, Ferncloud," Cinderpaw greeted cheerfully. The gray queen was curled up and was cleaning Foxkit. Ferncloud's other kit, Icekit, had a fever and was in the medicine cat's den. "May we take your moss? We'll get you new moss in a moment," Cinderpaw mewed.

Ferncloud grabbed the sleeping Foxkit by the scruff, climbed out of the nest, and waited for Hollypaw and Cinderpaw to gather it up. Once the apprentices had rolled it into a ball, Ferncloud sat back down and let Foxkit sleep between her delicate paws. "Bye; we'll be back in five rabbit hops," Cinderpaw mewed through a mouthful of moss.

Hollypaw crept through the soaked forest after Cinderpaw. The rain was still falling and by that time, Hollypaw was completely drenched. She shook her coat, only to be soaked again by more rain. She padded along the bases of the trees, searching for moss. Cinderpaw had gone somewhere after a mouse. Hollypaw was alone. Or, she thought she was.

A hiss somewhere in the bushes startled Hollypaw. The black apprentice bristled, and kept creeping along the forest, her belly fur brushing the damp soot. Soon she found herself at the ancient oak, a big oak tree with gnarled roots twisting to form a hole.

Hollypaw felt her blood turn to ice as she scented the smell of crowfood and the hisses grew louder.

**Eep! O.O What's happening to Hollypaw? Will she be okay? IDK!! Well, actually, I do because, well, this is my story. Yeah. Bye byes.**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	10. Chapter Nine

**Hey, I'm back. Here we go now.**

CHAPTER 9

_Hollypaw bristled and looked around the _damp forest. Snarling and hissing was heard, even louder, and there were faint pawsteps in the bushes. Hollypaw turned tail and began to run closer to the WindClan border. The pawsteps quickened to a running pace, as if it were giving Hollypaw a chase.

The dry scent of WindClan hit her nostrils as she neared the stream. She saw the WindClan warriors Tornear and Weaselfur and an apprentice that she didn't recognize patrolling the border. "Help me!" Hollypaw yelped to the WindClan warriors. A loud growl and a hiss were heard behind the black she-cat. Hollypaw shrieked and kept running.

She splashed across the stream and raced over to the patrol. "Weaselfur!" the apprentice hissed. "An intruder!" Hollypaw skidded to a stop as the ginger tom turned to glare at her. "Hey, what are you doing on WindClan territory?" Weaselfur hissed. "Attack her! Kill her! Eat her bones!" the apprentice was chanting. Weaselfur turned back to the apprentice. "Hush, Harepaw."

"Th…there was something…chasing me…over there! At the ancient…oak!" Hollypaw panted. She spun around to see the bushes lying still, except for the stiff breeze that blew. "There's nothing there!" Weaselfur growled. Tornear raced over to Weaselfur with a rabbit dangling in his jaws. "What happened?" the tabby tom asked.

"This ThunderClan apprentice just deliberately wandered into our territory, rambling about something chasing her," Weaselfur explained to the senior warrior. Tornear dropped his rabbit behind him. "What will we do with her, Tornear?" Weaselfur asked. "Attack her! Kill her! Eat her bones!" Harepaw was chanting again. Hollypaw realized that the apprentice was probably young and didn't know how to behave when this happened. She would have liked to pad over to the apprentice and claw off his ears.

"We will let her go," Tornear replied. "But next time we catch you on our territory, Hollypaw…" The black apprentice nodded. "I understand. Sorry, I must've just been imagining it." Weaselfur growled and rolled his eyes and padded to Harepaw, who was bouncing around and slipping in the sand.

Hollypaw dipped her head to the older warrior and raced off back towards the stream. She waded across and glanced around anxiously, peering into the dark shadows of the setting sun. Hollypaw wondered where Cinderpaw had gone. _'She probably went back to camp and sent out a patrol to find me,'_ Hollypaw thought with amusement.

She began to trudge back to the camp, her paws sinking in the soft, damp ground. She caught a shrew and gulped it down hungrily, realizing that she hadn't eaten all day. The shrew was small and only filled half of Hollypaw's hunger, but she decided to eat back at the camp.  
"Hollypaw, where have you been?" a voice called somewhere around Hollypaw. The black apprentice turned to see a patrol of cats-Cloudtail, Squirrelflight, Dustpelt, and Thornclaw. Hollypaw's heart sank as Thornclaw turned away from her. "I've been hunting over here," Hollypaw meowed, racing over to her Clanmates.  
"Don't just run off like that!" Squirrelflight warned. "You nearly scared me out of my fur!" Hollypaw nuzzled her mother and bounded over to Thornclaw. "Hey," she whispered. "I love you." Thornclaw glanced up and purred. "Me too."

**Awwwww! Thornclaw forgives her xD!!! Yay Thornclaw! Now that they both know that they love each other, what will happen next? Tootles! Please review!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	11. Chapter Ten

**Back! Yay…**

CHAPTER 10

_Hollypaw crept after the starling, her _swollen belly brushing against the ground. She pounced and caught it, killing it swiftly. "Great catch!" Thornclaw called from behind her. "Thanks!" Hollypaw answered, digging up her catch. It was a surprisingly warm leaf-bare day. The sun was shining warmly onto Hollypaw's black fur. She laid down on her back and let the sun warm her belly full of kits.

It had been two moons since Hollypaw and Thornclaw's quarrel, and now Hollypaw was a queen in the nursery. Firestar allowed a warrior to take her hunting, since she was still an apprentice, and Thornclaw offered to. No cat knew yet that Thornclaw was the father of the kits inside Hollypaw's belly.

"Hollypaw, look what I caught!" Thornclaw called to his mate. Hollypaw raced over to the golden brown tabby. She couldn't run as fast, but was still trying to get her strength back and her hunting and fighting skills up, because she knew after six moons in the nursery doing nothing but suckling kits, she could lose all her skills quickly.

Thornclaw had a large fully-grown rabbit lying at his paws with its throat torn open. "Great StarClan!" Hollypaw exclaimed. "That's the biggest rabbit I've ever seen! Where did you manage to catch that in leaf-bare?" Thornclaw flicked his tail towards the WindClan border. "It must've hopped right over the stream, because it smelled a bit like WindClan."

Hollypaw purred. "Maybe we should try hunting more over there," she suggested. Thornclaw nodded. "But I don't want to leave this rabbit lying here, even under the ground. Something might come and steal it! This thing could feed 3 cats fully!" Hollypaw glanced down at the dead rabbit again. Its light brown fur was stained with blood and dust.

"Hollypaw, Thornclaw!" A voice startled Hollypaw, making her jump. A tortoiseshell she-cat bounded over to the patrol. "Poppypaw," Hollypaw sighed to Thornclaw. The golden tabby rolled his amber eyes, but didn't show any disappointment or annoyance to his kin. Brackenfur, Poppypaw's father, was Thornclaw's brother. So the annoying tortoiseshell apprentice was his niece.

"Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, and Mousepaw are becoming warriors now!" Poppypaw reported. "We need to get back to the camp to watch." Thornclaw nodded. "I left some prey over by the stream. We'd better go get it. We'll be there, I promise." Poppypaw shrugged at her uncle. "Okay." The tortoiseshell bounded off and once the very tip of her tail had vanished, Thornclaw sighed.

"We'd better get going now." Hollypaw nodded and followed her mate to the stream. A mouse and a finch were buried in the ground. Thornclaw picked them up in his jaws and raced back to his rabbit. Hollypaw picked it up for him and grabbed her starling.

Once the cats had made it back to the camp, Firestar was already on the Highledge and yowling for the cats to gather below. Hollypaw and Thornclaw dropped off the prey and went over to sit beside Ferncloud and Daisy. Her blue eyes shone with pride at her kits finally becoming warriors.

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, Mousepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

Berrypaw bounced a bit, and mewed in unison to Mousepaw, "I do." Hazelpaw seemed calmer. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Berrypaw, you will be known as Berrytail. StarClan honor your loyalty and courage and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Firestar meowed. Berrytail bowed his head and let Firestar rest his chin on it. He licked the flame-colored leader's shoulder and padded off. Brambleclaw touched noses with his former apprentice and watched as Berrytail went to join the warriors.

"Mousepaw, you will be known as Mousefoot. StarClan honor your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Firestar announced. Mousefoot licked the leader's shoulder and padded off to sit beside Spiderleg, his former mentor.

"Hazelpaw, you will be known as Hazelwhisker. StarClan honor your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Firestar meowed. Hollypaw was impressed at the she-cat's calmness, but she knew that Hazelwhisker was leaping inside. She bent her head to lick Firestar's shoulder, and then padded down the Highledge.

"Berrytail! Mousefoot! Hazelwhisker!" the Clan cheered. "Berrytail! Mousefoot! Hazelwhisker!" Firestar flicked his tail for silence. "These new warriors will sit a silent vigil tonight, guarding the camp," he announced. Then he sprang down and padded into his den.

Hollypaw never liked Mousefoot and Berrytail very much, so she went to congratulate Hazelwhisker. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Thornclaw winking at her.

**Eh…not much of an ending. Yay! Berrytail! Mousefoot! Hazelwhisker! O.O Omg I just realized that the last parts of the three new warriors' names are all cat body parts. Tail, foot, whisker. o.O** **oh well. Adios!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	12. Chapter Eleven

Wow I've updated 3 chapters today, and this is my fourth…o.O Anyways, yeah… 

CHAPTER 11

_Hollypaw settled beside Ferncloud_ _with a_ robin. Daisy had already eaten a rabbit and was sound asleep. Ferncloud tucked Foxkit into the curve of her belly and took a bite of the robin.

"So, Ferncloud…" Hollypaw mewed. "Uh, does it hurt?" Ferncloud glanced up, her green eyes confused. "What?" Hollypaw shuffled her paws. "Having kits? Does it hurt?" Ferncloud shrugged. "It hurts, but afterwards when you are naming your kits with your mate…it just feels so amazing, to know that you brought those kits to the forest and that they will be a special part of ThunderClan."

"How many moons until my kits come, I wonder?" Hollypaw meowed. "Usually two or three moons. But for you, they might be a little early, since you're only eight moons," Ferncloud answered.

Leafpool padded into the den with Icekit in her mouth. The little white kit was squirming around in the light tabby's jaws. The medicine cat set her down and meowed to Ferncloud, "Okay, Ferncloud, Icekit is perfectly fine. Just bring her to my den if she's acting a little strange." Ferncloud nodded and purred as Icekit latched onto her belly and began to suckle. "Thank you." Leafpool dipped her head and padded out.

"It's good to know that Icekit is better," Hollypaw meowed. Suddenly, her belly lurched painfully. "Ouch!" she yowled. "Great StarClan, what's wrong, Hollypaw?" Daisy had awakened and she sprang to her paws, her long cream-colored fur tangled and messy from her doze. "My belly aches more than any pain I've ever felt!" Hollypaw hissed through gritted teeth. Ferncloud's green eyes widened.

Suddenly, Dustpelt burst into the nursery. "What's wrong, Ferncloud?" he demanded. "Hollypaw is having her kits!"

An icy claw raked down Hollypaw's spine and she felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. "Get Leafpool!" Ferncloud told her mate. The dark brown tabby took one last glance at Hollypaw before racing off to find the medicine cat.

Thornclaw and Brackenfur pushed through the brambles. "What's happening, Hollypaw?" Brackenfur asked worriedly. Thornclaw's amber eyes blazed with fear. "She's having kits," Daisy explained, licking Hollypaw between her ears. "Just take deep breaths. It will all be over soon."

Hollypaw drew in a deep breath and let out a thin wail. The pain was exploding in her belly. Finally, Leafpool burst into the nursery and pushed all the warriors aside. "Okay, Hollypaw. Just eat this," Leafpool instructed, pushing a few hairy leaves towards her. Hollypaw winced at the taste, but swallowed it, just in case it would make her bellyache go away.

Suddenly, the pain grew even harsher. Hollypaw yowled, drowning out Leafpool's voice. "It's a she-cat," she meowed to Hollypaw, passing a solid black kit to Ferncloud, who began to lick it. "Another she-cat," Leafpool mewed. A golden brown tabby squealed and was quiet. Hollypaw wondered if it was dead.

"A tom," the light brown tabby meowed, giving Ferncloud a black tom to lick. "And the last one is another she-cat." Hollypaw realized that the pain was gone. All she could feel was four tiny mouths suckling her belly.

"Are they all okay?" Hollypaw asked wearily. Leafpool nodded. "Did you eat the borage? It will increase your supply of milk." Hollypaw nodded as well and rested her chin on her paws sleepily. "Try to think of names for them," Ferncloud suggested. "There are two black kits and two golden brown tabbies."

Hollypaw felt fear sweep over her. By the color of the two golden brown tabby kits' fur, could the Clan guess who their father was?

**Yay! Hollypaw had her kits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay too much happiness there…I dunno, **_**will**_** the Clan guess who the father was? WHO KNOWS, OTHER THAN MOI?? Okay too hyper here. Tootles!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Hey, I'm back. W/e.**

CHAPTER 12

_Hollypaw knew it was the right _time to tell Ferncloud who her mate was. The gray queen had been asking ever since two days before, but Hollypaw never answered. "So who's the father?" Ferncloud asked. "Thornclaw," Hollypaw admitted. Ferncloud's ears pricked. "Thornclaw? But he's a senior warrior! An apprentice can't have a senior warrior as their mate! They can't even have a mate!"

"Shh!" Hollypaw hissed. "I need your help. Thornclaw and I need to name these kits. I need someone to guard any cat from seeing us talking about names!" Ferncloud shrugged. "Fine." She stood up and raced out of the nursery, and then entered again with Thornclaw.

Ferncloud stood in front of Hollypaw and Thornclaw while they talked. "How about Nightkit, for the black she-cat?" Thornclaw suggested. Hollypaw nodded. "Okay. I like Thrushkit for the golden tabby she-cat and Ashenkit for the black tom." Thornclaw licked the top of the remaining kit's head; another golden brown tabby she-cat. "Maybe…Brightkit?" Hollypaw suggested.

Thornclaw shook his head. "Oh! Lightkit!" he meowed. Hollypaw nodded and licked her mate's ear. "Nightkit, Thrushkit, Ashenkit, and Lightkit," she repeated. Suddenly, Jaypaw's ominous prophecy echoed in her head. _'Black and golden will come together, and night, thrush, ashen, and light will unfold secrets untold.'_

"Nightkit, Thrushkit, Ashenkit, and Lightkit will unfold secrets untold…" Hollypaw murmured. "Did you say something?" Thornclaw asked his mate, turning around to her after exchanging a chat with Ferncloud. Hollypaw bristled. "Ah, nope, nothing." Thornclaw nodded. "Well, I'll be off, then. The evening patrol is waiting for me." He turned and raced off.

"What are their names?" Ferncloud asked. "Nightkit, Thrushkit, Ashenkit, and Lightkit," Hollypaw repeated for the third time. "I love them so much, and they have a big journey ahead of them."

"Hollypaw!" a high-pitched voice called. Poppypaw raced inside the nursery, leaping over Ferncloud and her sleeping kits to reach Hollypaw. "You had kits! Four healthy, wonderful, beautiful kits!" The black queen nodded. "Uh, yeah. Would you mind bringing me something to eat? I'm starved." Poppypaw nodded. "Of course, anything for you!" Then she bounced out of the den, and soon reappearing with a vole. Hollypaw wolfed it down quickly.

"Thanks," Hollypaw meowed. For the first time in her life, she felt that Poppypaw couldn't annoy her. She felt so proud of her kits, Thornclaw, and even herself. Everything was perfect, for then. Poppypaw dipped her head and backed out of the nursery, stumbling over Daisy, before disappearing behind a wall of brambles.

Hollypaw quickly groomed her kits and laid her chin on her paws, curling her tail over her kits. The prophecy followed her all the way to sleep. _'Black and golden will come together, and night, thrush, ashen, and light will unfold secrets untold…'_

Suddenly, a paw prodded her in the side quickly. Hollypaw opened her green eyes and stared into the face of Thornclaw. "Get up," he hissed frantically. "Rogues are attacking the camp!"

**Eep! Cliffie! This was a short chapter, but I'm kinda in a writer's block. :( Anyways, sayonara.**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Hey! I'm just gonna get started anyways…**

CHAPTER 13

_Lionpaw felt a jolt of terror_ ripple through his golden pelt as the yowling of many cats broke outside the apprentices' den. The sun was setting, casting blood-red rays of light into the cave entrance. He dashed out, followed by Poppypaw, Cinderpaw, and Honeypaw. Where was Jaypaw? _He's probably with Leafpool, _Lionpaw reassured himself.

Before he even took a pawstep out of the cave, a tabby she-cat hurled into him in a fury of claws and teeth. Lionpaw slashed at the tabby's nose, and she yowled in agony. She swiped at his ears and tried to get hold of his tail. Instead, Lionpaw leapt onto the she-cat's shoulders, dug his front claws in, and battered at her back with his hind legs. The tabby dashed out of the camp, tail between her legs. Lionpaw sighed with satisfaction and glanced around.

He spotted a clump of cats, about 5 or 6 of them, racing towards a bramble thicket, their bellies low to the ground. They were heading for the nursery! Lionpaw let out a hiss of rage. His sister Hollypaw was inside, kitting! He darted over to a black and white tom, jumped, and attached his teeth to his ear. The tom hissed and swung his head around in the air, trying to detach the golden apprentice. Finally Lionpaw let go and watched the tabby tom race away.

The other 4 cats had dashed into the nursery and kits were squealing inside. Lionpaw hissed and darted inside. He stared in horror as he saw his sister Hollypaw growl and swipe a paw at a tortoiseshell she-cat that was trying to grab one of her four kits. Ferncloud raced out of the nursery with Foxkit in her jaws; Daisy later came out with Icekit.

Hollypaw stood up from her kits and attacked the tortoiseshell. The two she-cats tussled and rolled over across the bramble thicket. Lionpaw darted forward, grabbed the first kit he saw, which was a black she-cat, and pelted outside. The sky was dark except for the thin sheet of light shafting over the horizon. He glanced around quickly, the tiny black kit squealing and mewling for her mother. He saw Daisy and Ferncloud stepping onto the Highledge and bounding up the pile of rocks. Jaypaw and Leafpool escorted them, while Mousefur guided Longtail up the rocks.

He turned back to see Whitewing racing out of the nursery, blood trickling from a wound in her flank. She had red and black tufts of fur between her claws. She darted over to Lionpaw and grabbed the black kit. She nodded her head to the battle and began to bound up the rocks after the queens and elders.

Lionpaw flung himself into the midst of the battle. He saw Cinderpaw struggling with a huge ginger tom. The ginger tom had Cinderpaw pinned down and was bearing his teeth toward Cinderpaw's throat. Lionpaw raced over to the two cats and he heaved himself onto the ginger tom, who reared up on his hind legs and let go of Cinderpaw. The gray tabby gasped for breath and stumbled backwards a bit.

Lionpaw felt the ginger tom shake his back underneath him, so the golden tabby bit the rouge's ear. The ginger tom flung Lionpaw off his back, shoved his paw onto Lionpaw's neck, and leaned over for the killing bite. Lionpaw squeezed his amber eyes shut and waited to feel the rouge's fang sink into his throat.

A yowl split through the blood-spattered clearing. Lionpaw opened his eyes and peered around the ginger tom to see a flash of tortoiseshell fur race by. _Sorreltail?_ Lionpaw wondered. _Shouldn't she be on the Highledge with the elders and Daisy? _But Lionpaw knew it couldn't be Sorreltail.

He felt the air escape from his lungs as a great weight flattened the ginger tom onto Lionpaw. Finally the rouge was heaved back and Lionpaw scrambled to his paws, trembling. A tortoiseshell she-cat was piled on top of the ginger rogue. Poppypaw! The ginger tom was covered in blood by the time Poppypaw leaped off him. The rouge spat something at Poppypaw ruefully, and then raced out of the camp.

Lionpaw saw a flash of black fur out of the corner of his eyes. He turned to see Hollypaw darting across the clearing with another black kit, but a tom this time. Brackenfur and Birchfall followed with two golden brown tabby she-cats. A blue-gray she-cat raced after them, and behind her was a tabby tom, a white and gray tom, and a silver tabby she-cat.

Lionpaw heaved himself at the silver tabby, who shrieked and rolled over, squishing Lionpaw underneath her. Lionpaw hissed, squirmed out, and gasped for air. He clawed at the silver tabby's nose, and she raced away, squealing. Lionpaw glanced over at the Highledge. Birchfall stood in front of Hollypaw, swiping an unsheathed paw at the rouges beneath the tall rock pile. Brackenfur had leaped onto the white and gray tom and now the two toms were rolling on the ground.

Lionpaw leaped onto the tabby tom's shoulders and let Birchfall take care of the blue-gray she-cat. "Get off, you lazy piece of crowfood!" the she-cat hissed. Lionpaw growled and yowled, "Why don't you just go back to the Carrionplace where you came from?" The blue-gray she-cat screeched and flung herself at Lionpaw, raking her claws down his flanks and legs. Lionpaw nipped at her tail and swiped blindly out at her. She dodged every blow.

_I'm going to lose! _

**Yay! I mean, oh no! What will happen to poor Lionpaw? Poor cats! MEANIE EVIL ROUGES!!!!! **_**–Comes out at them with a pitchfork- **_**DIE!!!!!! Anyways, uhm, yeah. Please review! Pretty please with mice and voles and birds and rabbits and catmint and honeycomb on top!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Hey. Okay, let's just go now…**

CHAPTER 14

_Lionpaw struggled under the blue-gray _body of the rogue. Suddenly, a yowl broke out in the clearing. Lionpaw tried to peer out from the she-cat on top of him. A big black tom was racing to the entrance of the camp. All the rouges leapt off their enemies and darted after him, spitting back insults to the ThunderClan cats.

It took Lionpaw a few heartbeats to believe what had just happened as he struggled to his paws. "Lionpaw, are you okay?" Poppypaw dashed over to the golden tabby tom and rubbed her muzzle against his cheek. "I was so worried; I couldn't find you anywhere!" Lionpaw let out a feeble purr, only to be interrupted by another yowl.

"Is any cat badly hurt?" Leafpool and Jaypaw raced out of the medicine cat's den. Lionpaw breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his kin. Leafpool was his mother's sister, so they were related. "I think you'd better take a look at Honeypaw!" Sandstorm's voice called. Lionpaw felt terror shake his body. He raced over to Sandstorm to see the motionless pale ginger shape of Honeypaw. He felt like wailing to StarClan.

"She's still breathing," Jaypaw reported to Leafpool. Sure enough, Lionpaw saw the faint rise and fall of Honeypaw's blood-soaked flank. "Jaypaw, fetch marigold, coltsfoot, and cobweb! Quickly!" Leafpool instructed. Jaypaw pelted into the medicine cat's den and reappeared with the herbs.

His mentor, Ashfur, pushed Lionpaw back. "We need to help the queens and elders down the Highledge." Lionpaw glanced up at the big pile of rocks. Hollypaw, Daisy, Ferncloud, Mousefur, and Longtail huddled up there. Hollypaw, Longtail, and Mousefur didn't look too afraid, but Ferncloud and Daisy's eyes were round with terror.

Lionpaw scrabbled up the rocks, followed by Ashfur, Sorreltail, and Millie. "You're not too hurt, are you?" Ashfur asked as Lionpaw slipped on a loose stone. "No," Lionpaw muttered. He finally reached the top. "Oh, Lionpaw!" Hollypaw gasped. "I was so worried about you!" Lionpaw nuzzled his sister and grabbed the first tiny kit he could see, which was a golden brown tabby she-cat, squirming and squealing.

Hollypaw and Ferncloud followed, each with a kit in their mouth. Millie helped Daisy down, while Ashfur got Mousefur and Longtail to the bottom. Sorreltail grabbed the last kit, a black she-cat, and followed the rest down.

Once Lionpaw reached the bottom, he set the kit down and gazed over the clearing. There were dead bodies of rouges dotted here and there, but fortunately there were no dead ThunderClan cats.

The nursery was completely ruined. Brambles scattered the clearing. The elders' den and the apprentices' den weren't harmed, but the warriors' den had been totaled as well.

"Is everyone alright?" Firestar asked worriedly, reaching Leafpool and Jaypaw. "Honeypaw is badly wounded, and-" Before Leafpool could finish; Sorreltail wailed and flung herself at Honeypaw, covering her kit with licks. "Oh, Honeypaw! Please, don't die!" she yowled. "I already lost Molepaw! What more does StarClan want?"

Jaypaw nudged Sorreltail away, giving her a soothing lick on the head, and let Leafpool drag Honeypaw into her den. "Spiderleg and Whitewing are badly wounded," Brambleclaw reported, racing over to Firestar. "We should get them to Leafpool immediately." Firestar snarled. "Why did those rouges attack us anyway?"

"I…I thought I saw Oakfur and Russetfur among them, but it must've been a coincidence," Cloudtail meowed. "Yeah, I saw Russetfur and Smokefoot, too," Mousefoot agreed, lifting his head from grooming a wound on his leg. "And wasn't there Ivypaw, too?" Cinderpaw asked Cloudtail. The white warrior nodded. "I believe so. Firestar, why would ShadowClan attack us?"

The flame-colored tom shrugged. "The Gathering is in three sunsets. We will have to ask them then." Lionpaw felt fury rise in his throat like bile. _ShadowClan lured a rouge pack into our camp and almost _killed_ Honeypaw!_ he growled to himself.

Lionpaw watched as Brackenfur grabbed Spiderleg by the scruff and dragged him to Leafpool's den, followed by Cloudtail with his daughter Whitewing. Both had serious-looking wounds; Whitewing had claw marks scoring her flanks and front leg, and Spiderleg had his soft brown belly covered in bleeding scratches.

Lionpaw was starving; he hadn't eaten since yesterday night. His belly yowled with hunger, but he knew he had to feed the elders and the queens first. Brambleclaw was ordering patrols with the strongest warriors. "Ashfur, Graystripe, go and patrol the ShadowClan border. Lionpaw, go with them."

Lionpaw didn't feel that he had enough energy to patrol the border, but he went along anyway. He hoped there wasn't more trouble waiting for them at the ShadowClan border.

**Well, was it good? I think it was. But whatever. Please review!!!!!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Hey, peoples! I'm back! Finally, right? Anyways, here's chapter…eh…15, I think. Yeah. 15.**

CHAPTER 15

_A pair of delicate golden brown _paws crunched through the snow. A gust of wind blew over, and the she-cat ruffled her fur, but padded on with her chin held high. She didn't want any of her siblings to see her looking weak for once.

Suddenly, in a flash of claws, a black ball bowled into the golden brown she-cat. They wrestled a bit until the golden brown she-cat pushed the black cat off of her.

"Ashenkit, what was that for?" the golden brown tabby squealed, drawing a licked paw over her ear. The black tom flopped into the snow, shaking his head to remove clumps of snow that had formed against his ears. "Sorry, Thrushkit, I thought you were Lightkit," he mewed. "I was trying to get her back for stealing that juicy vole from the pile yesterday."

Thrushkit flicked her ears. "Okay, don't do it again, or else I will step on your tail." Ashenkit bristled, and dipped his head, padding away. Thrushkit let out a satisfied sigh and began to pad towards the fresh-kill pile. Icepaw was bounding over to the pile with a starling, followed by her brother Foxpaw with a mouse. Thrushkit and her siblings were denmates with Icepaw and Foxpaw for about a moon or two, and then they moved onto being apprentices.

Thrushkit padded past her mother, Hollypaw. Her black pelt was glossy and well groomed. She was sharing a large rabbit with her brothers, Lionpaw and Jaypaw. Thrushkit knew that that was the day that three apprentices, Poppypaw, Honeypaw, and Cinderpaw, became warriors. The three apprentices had no idea, but Thrushkit overheard her mother discussing it with her other Clanmates. Poppypaw, Honeypaw, and Cinderpaw's mother, Sorreltail, was thrilled.

Thrushkit dragged a vole back to the nursery where she saw Nightkit, her black-pelted sister. "Nightkit, will you share this with me?" Thrushkit asked, placing the vole at her small golden paws. Nightkit glanced over and shrugged, then took a huge bite out of the vole.

After the kits had eaten the vole to the very last bones, Thrushkit stretched out for a sun-high nap. Before she could even fall into a half-sleep, she heard the familiar call: "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, meet beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Firestar, ThunderClan's flame-colored leader, was on top of the Highledge. Cats were gathering around the tall pile of rocks. "We have three apprentices becoming warriors today," Firestar announced. "Poppypaw, Cinderpaw, and Honeypaw." Thrushkit turned her green eyes towards the apprentices. Honeypaw was casually watching her sisters leap around in the air. Finally the three she-cats bounded over to the Highledge.

"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Honeypaw, Cinderpaw, Poppypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

The three apprentices all agreed, and so Firestar continued, "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Poppypaw, you will be known as Poppyleaf." Firestar rested his chin on Poppyleaf's head and let the new warrior lick his shoulder. "Honeypaw, you will be known as Honeywhisker," Firestar meowed.

"Cinderpaw, you will be known as…" An unimaginable sadness filled Firestar's green eyes. Thrushkit saw her leader swallow hard and continue on, "you will be known as Cinderpelt." It seemed as if the whole clearing had gasped. Dustpelt pressed his flank against Ferncloud's side; his eyes were wide with sorrow. Sorreltail looked the most grief-stricken, but she forced a twitch of her tail, encouraging her daughter on. Brackenfur hung his head.

_What's wrong with Cinderpelt?_ Thrushkit wondered as she saw the gray warrior lick Firestar's shoulder and pad off the Highledge. _Why does every cat look so sad?_ Without saying a word, Firestar leapt off the Highledge and disappeared into his den. Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, and Leafpool followed him.

"What's wrong with Cinderpelt?" Thrushkit asked, leaning over to whisper into Nightkit's ear. Nightkit flicked her ears. "Well, obviously something bad happened to a cat that looks like Cinderpelt. Maybe Firestar and the rest of the cats think that Cinderpelt looks like a dead cat, or something."

Thrushkit felt her pelt prickling with anger. "Well, why don't we know this cat? I don't know a cat that's a gray tabby, other than Cinderpelt." Nightkit rolled her eyes. "Maybe this cat died before we were born, or something." Thrushkit twitched her tail crossly. "I want to find out more about this cat," she mewed. Nightkit turned around, meowed, "Good luck", and padded off.

Thrushkit's paws pricked with annoyance at her sister's rudeness. She wished she had a sister like her-calm, nice, and curious. Her sister Lightkit was to hyper and didn't pay attention very well, and Nightkit was too rude. Ashenkit…well…he was a tom. Toms didn't understand she-cats very well.

_How exactly do I figure out who the cat is that reminds the Clan of Cinderpelt?_

Before she could think anything else, she heard Hollypaw calling her. "Coming!" Thrushkit yowled and bounded over to her mother.

**Well…this is a "whatever" chapter. Like, a "whatever, I don't care" chapter. Right? Anyways, yeah, it was pretty boring. Adios.**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**I haven't updated this story in a long time. So here's chapter 16!**

CHAPTER 16

_Nightkit glanced around. Everything was dark _and she liked it. She padded through the darkness until she reached a cliff. _Where am I?_ She wondered. _I like this place._

Suddenly, two pairs of eyes broke out of the darkness. One pair was amber, the other was ice blue. Two huge tabby toms stalked out of the woods. "Hello, Nightkit," one of the toms said, the smaller one. "My name is Hawkfrost. I am your mother's father's step-brother." The bigger tabby tom with the amber eyes meowed, "My name is Tigerstar. We are kin, you and I, you know that?"

Nightkit stared at the two tabbies. "I've heard stories about you. Squirrelflight said that Brambleclaw killed Hawkfrost and Tigerstar hated Firestar." Tigerstar and Hawkfrost exchanged glances. "You are a smart little kit." Tigerstar purred a throaty purr.

"And you are also strong," Tigerstar meowed. "How would you like if you started your training now? Wouldn't that be just great?" Nightkit nodded. "I have been waiting as long as I could. Now I'm just getting impatient."

"We can train you," Hawkfrost meowed. "But we are too fast and big for you to fight. We wished we could have another kit on our side, one you could fight with and train with…"

"Where is this conversation going?" Nightkit asked. "Do you want me to go back and fetch one of my siblings?" Tigerstar shook his head. "None of those kits are as strong as you are." Nightkit purred. She liked the way this was going.

"So whom shall I fight with?" Nightkit asked. She crouched down low and lashed her tail back and forth. "I could take both of you down in five heartbeats." Hawkfrost purred. "Such courage. You are a very special kit, you know that, Nightkit?" Nightkit wondered what they meant. "How am I special?" she asked. She wanted them to list all of her specialties.

"You are strong and brave," Tigerstar began. "And smart. Feisty, tricky, loyal, and quick."

"And fierce," Hawkfrost added. "You are a very fantastic kit. You deserve private trainers."

"Yes," Tigerstar agreed. "Let's start by discussing…" He stopped to think.

"The warrior code?" Nightkit suggested. She remembered Icepaw and Foxpaw coming back from their first day of training, talking all about how they learned about the warrior code.

Tigerstar's amber eyes gleamed with anger. "No," he hissed. "We will never discuss the warrior code. Or StarClan." Nightkit felt taken aback, but she nodded and sat down.

"We shall start discussing a simple fighting technique," Tigerstar meowed. He crouched down. "Attack me." Nightkit wriggled her rear and pounced onto Tigerstar. Before she hit him, he rolled out from underneath her. Nightkit rolled on the ground and landed in a pile of soot. Tigerstar swiftly got to his paws and shook his tabby coat. "Lesson number one," Hawkfrost meowed. "Never attack your enemy when they are crouched down. They could always roll onto their back and send you flying into the dust."

"You try it," Tigerstar offered to Nightkit. "Crouch down, and as soon as I leap, roll onto the ground under me." Nightkit nodded and crouched down. Tigerstar leaped and Nightkit rolled onto her belly away from Tigerstar. She managed to swipe an unsheathed paw at his ear as he rolled to the ground.

"Nice work," Tigerstar mewed. "I liked that ending where you clawed my ear. That was very risky." Nightkit sat up straighter, enjoying this moment of praise. "Now attack me," Hawkfrost ordered. Nightkit sprang at the slightly smaller tabby. He scooted to the side and swiped an unsheathed massive paw at her, striking her muzzle. She skidded to the ground, her nose throbbing and eyes watering.

"See? Your enemy may be trickier than you think," Hawkfrost told Nightkit, who was struggling to her paws. She would've liked to collapse into a mossy nest, curl up, and fall asleep, but she didn't show any sign of weakness. _How can I feel pain in a dream?_ She wondered.

"You're not too sleepy, are you?" Hawkfrost asked, flicking his tail impatiently. "We still have a lot to cover before you can rest properly." Tigerstar stepped in front of his son. "I think we should let her sleep. She's not used to this yet. Once we form her into shape we can start training longer."

Nightkit nodded in relief and followed the tabbies to a large oak tree. The fat black roots were gnarled and twisted into a small hole. Moss was gathered there, along with a few feathers. "Lay down here and go to sleep," Tigerstar meowed. Nightkit curled up in the soft nest and wrapped her tail over her nose. The last things she saw were two pairs of amber and ice blue eyes, gleaming in the shadows.

"Nightkit, wake up, you lazy furball! You're not a hedgehog in leaf-bare!"

A few voices startled Nightkit awake. She opened her dark blue eyes and felt a tear run down her cheek. "Nightkit, are you crying?" It was Lightkit. The black she-cat shook her head hard, making the tear fly off her face. "N-no, where did you get that stupid idea from?" she snapped

"Sorry, I was just worried," Lightkit mewed. "Would you like to come eat with Ashenkit, Thrushkit, and me? Later we're going to stay up and listen to Icepaw and Foxpaw talk about the Gathering!"

Nightkit shrugged, stood up, and stretched her sore muscles. The strange thing was, her nose was still throbbing.

**Haha. I am enjoying writing Nightkit's character. She is kind of full of herself and kind of emo. She enjoys praise and never gives in and lets any cat think that she's weak. Please review! Bye!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Hey peeps

**Hey peeps! I haven't updated this story in a while, so here's chapter 17!**

CHAPTER 17

_Ashenkit quietly watched his siblings being _scolded by Hollypaw. Nightkit, Thrushkit, and Lightkit had disturbed Leafpool and Jaypaw's lesson earlier that morning, and had scattered the herbs. "I never want you going in there without permission!" Hollypaw hissed. Lightkit and Thrushkit shrank back, their golden-brown striped pelts blending into one. Nightkit didn't flinch; she looked quite bored.

Hollypaw flicked her tail and disappeared into the medicine den. The kits hurried over to their brother. "I wish I could always do what I was told," Thrushkit sighed, flopping onto her belly. "But it just gets so _boring _here. I wish we could be apprentices!" Lightkit shook her head. "I don't want to do what I'm told. I like being curious."

Thrushkit and Ashenkit stared at their sister in amazement. "Why? You get in trouble when you don't do as you're told!" Lightkit shrugged. "I want to have my own personality, to be able to be different than everyone else." Thrushkit twitched her ears. "You don't want to fit in and make friends?"

"I already have friends. Ashenkit, Thrushkit, and Nightkit." The black she-cat flicked her tail in annoyance at the sound of her name. "Nightkit, you look exhausted!" Ashenkit commented to his identical sister. "Why don't you get some sleep?" Nightkit shrugged. "I'm not tired."

Thrushkit nudged her sister. "Are you ill?"

Nightkit shook her head. "No."

Lightkit bounced. "Let's go see Leafpool and Jaypaw; they'll know what to do!" Just as the golden-brown she-cat was about to dash off into the medicine cat's den, Ashenkit stopped her. "Wait! Didn't you hear what Hollypaw told you? She said never to go into the medicine cat den without permission!"

Lightkit shrugged. "So?"

"Maybe we should go tell Hollypaw that Nightkit doesn't feel well," Ashenkit suggested. "Hollypaw is in the medicine den," Thrushkit pointed out.

"Then let's tell Brackenfur," Ashenkit meowed.

"Why him?" Thrushkit asked.

Ashenkit felt his siblings' gazes burn into his fur. Brackenfur had golden-brown-striped fur, just like Lightkit and Thrushkit. The four kits had never known whom their father was, so Ashenkit always referred to Brackenfur as their father. "Isn't he our father?"

"How do you know?" Thrushkit asked, pricking her ears. Her paws twitched in excitement. "Did Hollypaw tell you?"

"Guys, let's stop talking about Brackenfur and get Nightkit to Leafpool's den!" Lightkit exclaimed, glancing over at the black she-kit. "She's getting worse every minute!"

"Shut up!" Nightkit hissed. "I'm not sick! Just leave me alone." She darted off towards the nursery and disappeared behind the bramble thicket, her black fur bristling.

"I knew she wasn't ill," Ashenkit muttered. "Be quiet, you furball," Lightkit squealed, cuffing her brother gently on his ear. Thrushkit was sniffing the ground. "Maybe we should follow Nightkit," she suggested, worry tinting her voice.

"No, let her be alone for now," Ashenkit mewed. "She just overreacts over little things." Lightkit sighed and nodded. "It's so boring here! I want to be apprentices so bad! Look how much fun Icepaw, Foxpaw, and Lionpaw have. I wonder if Hollypaw misses being an apprentice."

As the golden tabby rambled on, Ashenkit watched Thrushkit sniff the ground again. "Are you that worried about her?" Ashenkit whispered. Thrushkit nodded. "She's our sister; why shouldn't I be?"

"Ashenkit, Lightkit, Thrushkit, Nightkit?" Firestar padded out of his den. "I need to speak with you." Lightkit bounced. "Nightkit went behind the nursery. We don't know where she is now." Firestar sighed. "Can you three please come here?"

Ashenkit padded over to his leader, dipping his head respectfully. "You four kits will be turning your sixth moon tomorrow," Firestar announced. Ashenkit's heart pounded with excitement. Lightkit bounced. "So you will become apprentices tomorrow at sunhigh."

**Kinda short, right? And boring. But I promise-the next update will be better, I hope. Please review!**

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar**


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Yo peepsYo peeps! I just need to say this. My computer won't let me edit my profile for some odd reason, so I've decided to say this at the beginning of the next chapter of all my stories. I am going to start a new story after Untold Secrets is finished. It's about three apprentices (Sunpaw, Moonpaw, and Starpaw) making up a prophecy about another apprentice (Cedarpaw). He believes them and leaves the Clan, thinking he is too powerful to stay as an apprentice in a lame Clan. He starts his own Clan and becomes Cedarstar. He gathers up a bunch of rogues and loners and gives them warrior and apprentice names. But when the prophecy about him really comes true, he…well…you will just have to find out at the end of the story! The story will be called The Fake Prophecy Book 1: Lies. Anyways, here's chapter 18!

CHAPTER 18

_Sunlight streamed through the cracks of _the brambles of the nursery ceiling. Lightkit awoke feeling refreshed and in a good mood. She knew why-she and her siblings were becoming apprentices! Hollypaw had also told them that she was becoming a warrior at last, along with Lionpaw.

Lightkit prodded Ashenkit and Thrushkit in the side. "Get up!" she whispered. "Today's our apprentice ceremony!" Ashenkit peeked open an eye and sat up immediately, his fur ruffled. He smoothed it down.

"What's wrong?" Lightkit asked. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Ashenkit shook his head. "No. I guess I was just tossing and turning in my sleep."

Thrushkit rolled her eyes. "Oh. _That's _what that kicking in my rear end was." Lightkit purred in amusement. "Is Nightkit back yet?"

"I think so," Thrushkit mewed. "Yes, she's sleeping against Hollypaw." Lightkit had to squint to make out the smaller black figure against the bigger one. But sure enough, their sister was sleeping in the crook of Hollypaw's belly.

"Did Hollypaw tell Nightkit about the ceremony today?" Ashenkit asked. "Probably," Lightkit replied. "I'm hungry."

"Me too," Thrushkit agreed. "Let's go share that sparrow I saw Icepaw carry in yesterday. It's the biggest bird I've ever seen!" Lightkit twitched her whiskers. "Except for a hawk!"

The three kittens raced outside the nursery, their tiny tails streaming out from behind them. Suddenly Brambleclaw struck out a massive paw and stopped them. "Don't run in the clearing," he ordered, his amber eyes burning into the kits' fur. _Wow, he sure looks angry today,_ Lightkit thought, creeping past the tabby deputy after Thrushkit.

Thrushkit snatched the sparrow up off the pile and dropped it on the ground. "Wow!" Ashenkit exclaimed. "It really _is _huge!" Lightkit licked her lips. "Let's eat it!"

"Stay quiet!" Brambleclaw snapped. "Mousefur and Longtail are asleep! Don't yell like that! And use manners when you're eating!" He stalked away. "What is he, our mother?" Lightkit muttered, swallowing a mouthful of the fresh-kill. "Can't you see what's wrong with him?" Thrushkit hissed. "He's angry at Hollypaw for having kits! He doesn't like us much, can't you tell?"

"How do you know?" Ashenkit asked, his green eyes wide. Lightkit wondered the same thing. "

"Oh, come on. You haven't noticed? An apprentice, having troublesome kits like us? Apprentices aren't even supposed to _have _kits." Thrushkit ended her sentence with a bite of sparrow.

"Well, I know that, but…" Lightkit thought about Ashenkit, looking worried. _He _wasn't troublesome. _He _was the one always watching his siblings getting scolded.

"Kits!" Hollypaw called from inside the nursery. "Come on! I need to give you your baths for the ceremony!" Lightkit groaned, while Thrushkit purred and Ashenkit stood and trooped into the nursery.

Lightkit watched Ashenkit's black fur being smoothed and shined by their mother. Nightkit had already been washed, and her coat was shiny and slick. "I can't wait for my bath!" Thrushkit mewed excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Mother, why can't _we_ give ourselves our own baths?" Lightkit complained. "We aren't even dirty!" Hollypaw shrugged, nudged Ashenkit aside, and grabbed Lightkit by the scruff. "It makes you look mature and sophisticated. Now stop complaining and let me wash you."

Lightkit's golden-brown pelt was slicked back and gleamed in the sun as she exited the nursery. Firestar had called the Clan to gather around the Highledge. Lionpaw and Hollypaw wound their tails together and purred excitedly.

Lightkit also noticed how crossed Sorreltail looked. Her face was in a scowl as she sat beside Leafpool and Honeywhisker. Brackenfur looked downcast as he hung his head. Thornclaw rested his tail on his brother's shoulder.

"Lightkit, Ashenkit, Thrushkit, and Nightkit have reached their sixth moon," Firestar announced. "So it is time for them to become apprentices." Lightkit excitedly raced onto the Highledge. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"Of course!" Lightkit mewed at once. Her mother shot her a glare. "I mean, I do." Ashenkit, Nightkit, and Thrushkit repeated her words. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your apprentice names," Firestar meowed. "Ashenkit, from this moment until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Ashenpaw."

The black tom bowed his head. "Your mentor will be…" Firestar glanced around the clearing. _It can't be Squirrelflight or Sandstorm,_ Lightkit thought. _They're already busy with Icepaw and Foxpaw. _

"Your mentor will be Brackenfur," Firestar meowed at last. The golden-brown tabby looked up, his eyes brightening. He padded onto the Highledge hastily and touched noses with Ashenpaw.

"Thrushkit, from this moment until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Thrushpaw," the flame-colored leader continued. "Whitewing is ready for her first apprentice, so she will mentor you." The white she-cat hurried onto the large rock, pressed her nose against Thrushpaw's, and scurried off, her green eyes gleaming.

Firestar continued on. "Nightkit, from this moment until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Nightpaw. Your mentor will be Sorreltail. It is time for her first apprentice." Both Nightpaw and Sorreltail looked surprised, but they touched noses and stepped off the Highledge.

"And Lightkit," Firestar meowed, his green eyes gleaming with intelligence. "Until you earn you warrior name, you will be known as Lightpaw. Your mentor will be Thornclaw."

**Cliffie-much, huh? What will the apprentices think of their new mentors? Ashenpaw is a lot like Brackenfur-obedient, brave, not troublemaking compared to their sisters, strong…like that. I have an idea of what I'm going to do with Thrushpaw and Nightpaw with their mentors. Please please please review! **

**Peaceoutyall,**

**Amberstar **


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Sigh

**Sigh. Hoorah, I'm back. I hope this chapter won't suck like the way I feel now. Suckish. Blah. Bored. Sleepy. Anyways, bear with me here. **

CHAPTER 19

_Thrushpaw saw the look of excitement _and wonder on her golden sister's face. Thornclaw and Lightpaw looked…the same. Their golden-brown striped pelts mingled together and looked as if they were one body with two different heads. _That's probably because Brackenfur is the same color as Thornclaw,_ Thrushpaw thought.

Ashenpaw and Nightpaw didn't seem too thrilled. "I'm just trying to impress Brackenfur," Ashenpaw admitted. "I don't want to get in his way." Nightpaw shrugged. "I guess I'm just glad we're out of the nursery."

"Okay, Thrushpaw," Whitewing stammered nervously, "show me what you can do."

Sorreltail and Whitewing had taken their new apprentices to the training place, and were going to see what the apprentices' fighting skills were.

The mentor and apprentice crouched, and Nightpaw smirked. _What's she smirking about?_ Thrushpaw thought as Sorreltail yowled, "Go!" Whitewing sprang at Thrushpaw. The golden apprentice struck out with a sheathed paw and hammered Whitewing in the head. The white she-cat stumbled backwards awkwardly, dazed.

"Whitewing, are you okay?" Sorreltail asked. Whitewing looked embarrassed. "Um, yes. I'm okay." She stood up and shook the dust off her snowy white coat. "Okay, you did great for your first day." Flattening her ears, Whitewing sulked to the sidelines. "It's your turn," she murmured to Nightpaw.

Nightpaw hissed. "I know! Don't treat me like a kit!" She snorted and headed over to the clearing, where Sorreltail was crouching. Whitewing looked taken aback, and Thrushpaw felt sympathy for the young warrior. "Go!" Whitewing yowled, and the battle between mentor and apprentice began.

_Why isn't she crouching down?_ Thrushpaw wondered as she watched. Sorreltail leaped, but Nightpaw slid underneath the tortoiseshell and bashed her paw against Sorreltail's nose. The she-cat skidded into a pile of sand and soot. "Wow!" Whitewing exclaimed, impressed. "That was amazing! Where did you learn to do that?" Thrushpaw wondered the same thing.

Sorreltail stood up shakily, her eyes watering. "How did you know to do that? I've never seen that fighting technique! May I see it again?" Nightpaw, pleased with her praise, nodded and waited for Sorreltail to shake her tortoiseshell coat, and regain her balance.

Sorreltail leaped again, and Nightpaw repeated the fighting move. "That's so cool!" Whitewing cried. "How did you learn that?" Nightpaw's eyes flashed with pleasure. "Oh, just…instincts."

Thrushpaw, who was staring at her sister in amazement, felt overwhelmed. _Whitewing would want me to be able to do that fighting move as well,_ the golden-brown she-cat thought in despair.

"It's amazing how well-trained our apprentices are!" Sorreltail exclaimed. Thrushpaw knew she was indicating Nightpaw, but she didn't say anything. "It's as if they had private training as kits. Icepaw and Foxpaw have taught these apprentices well." Nightpaw sat up straighter, her whiskers twitching under her praise.

"Don't worry, Thrushpaw," Whitewing murmured, "you are probably better at hunting than Nightpaw. We'll go hunting in a few days." Whitewing sat up again and meowed, "Perhaps we should teach them the warrior code."

Nightpaw hissed. "I don't want to learn about the warrior code!" Sorreltail looked surprised. "Why ever not?"

"The warrior code is for weak cats. Cats who are perfect and want to follow the rules all the time. The warrior code is not for powerful, strong cats who are willing to break it for the sake of their Clan being better than the others." Nightpaw's eyes gleamed with ambition.

"Nightpaw, I can't believe you'd say that about the warrior code!" Sorreltail hissed. "The warrior code is what keeps the Clans in line. Learning the warrior code is probably the most important lesson you'll ever have during apprenticeship!"

Thrushpaw was dumbfounded. The warrior code _was_ the most important lesson! How could her sister think otherwise? Hollypaw had taught them the importance of the code, and how StarClan had laid it down for them to follow. But had Nightpaw even listened? She seemed very into learning about the code when she was a kit. What had happened to her?

"Thrushpaw, are you listening?" Whitewing snapped her apprentice out of her wonders. "Um, y-yes!" Thrushpaw stammered. "Sorry. Say it again, please." Whitewing sighed in frustration. "We're going to tour the territory and discuss the warrior code. Nightpaw and Sorreltail are going back to the camp to tend to the elders."

"Okay." Thrushpaw flicked her ears. She had to pay better attention, or else she may have to clean the elders' den too. "Ashenpaw and Brackenfur are coming with us," Whitewing told her apprentice. _Great!_ Thrushpaw thought. _Now I get to show my father how well trained and obedient I am!_

While the two cats waited for Ashenpaw and Brackenfur, Thrushpaw groomed her fur rapidly, getting any loose dust or dirt out of her golden-brown stripes. She sat up tall as the two toms approached. "Greetings, Whitewing," Brackenfur mewed, dipping his head. "Thornclaw and Lightpaw have decided to join with us."

Lightpaw raced into the clearing. "Lightpaw, come back!" A voice called her name somewhere behind her. "Come back!"

Brackenfur twitched his whiskers. "We've got her, Thornclaw! She's not going anywhere until you catch up." The golden-brown tabby pelted after his apprentice. "Sorry I'm late. Lightpaw just got ahead of me, and…" He glared at his apprentice, panting.

_Wait…_ Thrushpaw halted. _Thornclaw is a golden-brown tabby, like Lightpaw and me. What if _he's _our father?_

**Not much of a cliffie there. Review or else I will throw rocks at you! Just kidding. I'm not a review whore. I just like throwing rocks at people…I mean, things. Tootles!**

**xx-Starfall-xx**


	21. Chapter Twenty

Hey, I've got the next chapter

**Hey, I've got the next chapter!**

CHAPTER 20

"_Tigerstar had been training Hawkfrost and _Brambleclaw to rule the Clans," Mousefur explained as Nightpaw searched through her dark brown fur for ticks, "through _dreams. _Isn't Tigerstar so…ambitious?" Nightpaw rolled her eyes as she attacked a tick behind Mousefur's ear with mouse bile.

"Brambleclaw fought the urge to kill Firestar, but Hawkfrost came on too strong," Mousefur continued. "One day Firestar was in the forest…I can't quite remember what he was doing. Brambleclaw found Firestar caught in a fox trap!" Daisy's kits, Rosekit and Toadkit (who were listening to the elders' story) looked shocked, their little eyes wide.

"Hawkfrost had done it," Mousefur rasped. "Brambleclaw had managed to undo the fox trap that was around Firestar's neck…but he took Hawkfrost's life. This proved to Firestar that Brambleclaw was loyal to ThunderClan."

Nightpaw was about to hiss something at Mousefur when Toadkit mewed, "Was Tigerstar the evilest cat in the whole forest?" His black and white fur bristled with terror and excitement.

Longtail shook his head. "He could've been, though. I used to be a follower of Tigerstar, but only until I found out his ambitious plans. He killed the queen, Brindleface; he led the dog pack into the forest, which killed an apprentice, Swiftpaw, and Bluestar. The dogs also ravaged Brightheart's face."

"Wow!" Rosekit squealed. "He _is _the evilest cat in the whole forest! How did he die?"

Nightpaw didn't listen anymore, because she was finished with both the elders' ticks. Sorreltail had left her with the job as a punishment and had disappeared. Nightpaw exited the elders' den and into the bright sunlight. A few cats were eating underneath the Highledge. Firestar was amongst them.

Nightpaw padded to the fresh-kill pile, grabbed a sparrow, and was about to pad to the apprentices' den, but Sorreltail stopped her. "Oh, no, you don't," Sorreltail hissed. "You're taking that to the elders and Daisy, first. Then you can eat."

Growling, Nightpaw grabbed a rabbit and took it to the elders' den. They didn't look thankful, but they said, "Thank you, Nightpaw." The black apprentice gave the plump, juicy sparrow (that she had wanted to eat) to Daisy and her pesky kits.

The only good-looking piece of prey left on the pile was a mouse that had been caught the previous day. So it wasn't fresh. Sighing, Nightpaw picked it up in her teeth and slumped over to the apprentices' den. Lionpaw and Hollypaw were eating beside the den.

"Hello, Nightpaw," Lionpaw greeted, glancing up from his meal. Hollypaw waved her tail. "We're finally becoming warriors today! I believe on the next half-moon, Jaypaw will earn his medicine cat name." Nightpaw felt a spark of happiness for her kin. Finally, after these long 10 or so moons, they were becoming warriors!

Their warrior ceremonies had been postponed because of Hollypaw having her kits. Lionpaw, Jaypaw, and Hollypaw had promised each other that they would earn their names together, and so Lionpaw and Jaypaw hadn't become warriors until Hollypaw's kits were apprentices.

Purring, Nightpaw settled down beside the entrance to the den and devoured her mouse quickly. Hollypaw scooted towards her kit and licked her on the ear. "I heard you had your first training session today with Sorreltail. She told me how disrespectful of the warrior code you were."

Nightpaw froze in mid-lick across her paw. How could Sorreltail tell her mother about that? Tigerstar and Hawkfrost had told her that the warrior code was for weaklings who wanted to be perfect, like medicine cats. It wasn't for ambitious, strong cats that were willing to fight through other cats to be stronger than them.

Hollypaw stared softly at her kit. "Is there anything you would like to say about that?" Her voice was stern, but it had a little gentleness in it. Nightpaw sighed and shook her head. Hollypaw licked her daughter again and followed Firestar's call from the Highledge.

Nightpaw stood up and padded over to her siblings, who had just then returned. Thrushpaw was looking very proud, and Ashenpaw and Lightpaw looked slightly jealous. "What happened?" Nightpaw asked Ashenpaw.

The black tom sighed in distress. "Nothing."

"At long last, it is time for two of our apprentices to become warriors," Firestar announced. Lightpaw bounced, and Thrushpaw seemed very pleased. Ashenpaw's fur bristled with excitement.

"Hollypaw, Lionpaw, now that Hollypaw's kits have become apprentices, it's time for your warrior names," Firestar meowed. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Lionpaw and Hollypaw both declared in unison, "I do!"

"By the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names," Firestar mewed. "Lionpaw, you will be known as Lionclaw. StarClan honor your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Lionclaw licked Firestar's shoulder and padded proudly off the Highledge.

"Hollypaw, you will be known as Hollytail. StarClan honor your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Hollytail bent her head down and rasped her tongue over her kin's shoulder, and then padded off. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw were beaming with pride. Jaypaw congratulated his siblings at the bottom of the Highledge.

"Congratulations, Hollytail!" Ashenpaw mewed, dipping his head in respect for his mother. He licked her muzzle. Lightpaw bounced over to her mother and purred in happiness. Nightpaw nodded to Hollytail and Lionclaw, indicating that she was happy for them, and made her way to the apprentices' den.

She and her siblings were now the only apprentices in the Clan. No other cat was in the den; they were all out congratulating the two new warriors. Nightpaw stretched out and groomed her fur until it shined, even though the roof blocked out the faint moonlight.

It had been a long day, and now it was finally time to train with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost.

**Eek. Nightpaw is NOT evil, I'm just telling you that. She's just wily and proud and ambitious. NOT evil. **

**xx-Starfall-xx**


	22. Chapter Twenty One

Hola, people

**Hola, people! I'm going to be updating this story A LOT, because I really want to get it finished! Then I can get even closer to beginning ****The Fake Prophecy****! I really can't wait for that! I hope it will be a big hit! Anyways, here's chapter 21. By the way, this story will end with 25 chapters. And I don't own Warriors!**

CHAPTER 21

"_Great crouch, Ashenpaw!" Brackenfur praised his _new apprentice. The black tom was positioned in hunter's crouch, and was trying his best to please his mentor. Ashenpaw sat up straight and waved his tail happily.

Brackenfur touched his tail to his apprentice's ear. "Let me show you how to leap at prey. The first lesson is how to catch mice, voles, and shrews." Ashenpaw nodded and watched his mentor.

"Crouch down, like you just did," Brackenfur meowed, crouching, "then stalk. You have to place your paws gently and silently on the ground. Mice will feel your pawsteps before they hear you, so keep all your weight on your haunches."

Ashenpaw copied his mentor the best he could. "Great, just keep your tail down when you stalk. And keep more weight on your haunches. You want your front paws to scarcely touch the ground. Are your claws unsheathed?" Brackenfur listed the things he needed to tweak at.

Feeling overwhelmed, Ashenpaw unsheathed his claws and dropped his tail low, making sure it didn't drag along the ground. "Keep your rear down more," Brackenfur meowed gently. "You want your belly fur to almost brush against the ground."

Ashenpaw and Brackenfur trained a while more, before Ashenpaw seemed to give up.

"I just don't think I can get this," the black apprentice admitted, feeling ashamed. Brackenfur pricked his ears. "Why not?"

"It's too…overwhelming," Ashenpaw sighed. "I can't learn all this today!"

"You don't have to," Brackenfur assured his apprentice. Before Ashenpaw could say any more, he spotted Thornclaw and Lightpaw trotting through the training hollow.

"Greetings, Brackenfur and Ashenpaw," Thornclaw mewed, dipping his head. Ashenpaw did the same and gave his sister a lick on the ear.

"How is training going, Ashenpaw?" Lightpaw asked. Ashenpaw glanced over at his mentor, who was chatting with his brother and Lightpaw's mentor, and didn't answer.

"Yesterday I caught a thrush, and Thornclaw hadn't even taught me how to catch birds!" the golden-brown she-cat exclaimed. "Thornclaw insisted that I stick with ground prey, but he was stalking after a shrew, so I caught the thrush by myself! He's so proud of me that he's taking me on my first hunting patrol!"

_Wow,_ Ashenpaw thought. _Lightpaw is doing a lot better than I am. I wish I were good at hunting._

"Great," the black tom mumbled, slightly happy for his sister. He managed to crack a smile for her.

Lightpaw nodded. "Thanks! So, have you caught your first prey yet?"

"Brackenfur hasn't taken me to hunt yet."

"Do you know how to hunt?"

"Almost."

"Show me your best hunter's crouch."

"No way!"

"Please?" Lightpaw pleaded. "Come on, Ashenpaw!"

Sighing, the black tom crouched down and stalked slowly into the tall grasses that bordered the training hollow.

"Pretty good," Lightpaw meowed. "Just keep your rear down and you'll be great!" Ashenpaw sat up and sighed again.

"Come on, Lightpaw," Thornclaw called. "Let's get on with that hunting patrol." The golden-brown tabby bounced after her mentor through the tall grass and into the forest.

Brackenfur didn't mention anything about the patrol for the rest of training that day. When Ashenpaw returned back to camp, his mind was whirling with all the things he had learned about hunting. Keep your rear down; keep your weight on your haunches; make sure your claws are unsheathed; keep your tail down.

Even Thrushpaw noticed Ashenpaw's stress. "Overwhelmed?" she asked as she took a bite out of the rabbit she was sharing with him. Ashenpaw sighed and nodded.

"You look exhausted," Nightpaw commented. "Get some sleep." Nodding, Ashenpaw dragged himself into the den, where Lightpaw was asleep. Suddenly, a split yowl entered the camp and a strange scent filled his nostrils. ShadowClan!

Ashenpaw darted out of the den; his eyes wide open and fur bristling. Lightpaw dashed out behind him. Her eyes were bright and her tail was flicking.

"What do you want, Russetfur?" Firestar demanded as the two dark ginger cats stood face to face. Brambleclaw was beside him, his teeth bared. Dustpelt, Sandstorm, Brackenfur, Thornclaw, and Cloudtail backed him up, followed by Brightheart, Ashfur, Squirrelflight, and Graystripe.

Russetfur dipped her head respectfully. "Greetings, Firestar, nice to see you too. We haven't any prey beside the RiverClan border. The only prey we can find is beside your border. Our new apprentices are going to starve if they don't eat anything, and Blackstar has almost lost one of his lives. Would you mind sparing a small sliver of your territory to ShadowClan?"

Brambleclaw and Dustpelt growled. "Of course we won't!" Brambleclaw spat, while Dustpelt lashed his tail and hissed. Firestar stepped in front of his deputy. "Sorry, Russetfur, prey doesn't come easy for us, either. You will just have to search harder within your own territory."

Ashenpaw felt pity for the ShadowClanners, but the border between ThunderClan and ShadowClan territory shan't be changed unless told so by StarClan. He glanced over at the other warriors following Russetfur. They were Smokefoot, Tawnypelt, Ivytail, Dawnpaw, and one other apprentice with dark gray tabby fur who looked kinder than the other cats. She stared at Lightpaw, her eyes gleaming.

Russetfur hissed. "Firestar, our cats are going to die! The warrior code says to help any cats in need!"

Firestar nodded slowly. "Yes, but the warrior code does not say to give up your own territory to help other Clans."

Smokefoot and Ivytail hissed. Russetfur then said words that sent chills down Ashenpaw's spine: "This means war, Firestar, this means war!"

**Ooooh, should Firestar have given his territory to ShadowClan? Will ThunderClan be defeated and loose some of their territory? Does my love of ShadowClan give you any hints? Find out in the next chapter! Okay, now I'm just sounding like some crappy, cheesy commercial. I'll be updating soon, so don't worry!**

**xx-Starfall-xx**


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

Yes, already the next chapter

**Yes, already the next chapter! I don't own Warriors, by the way! If you thought I did, well, looks like you need to lay off sniffing Sharpies. They kill brain cells, you know. And this chapter will be very confusing, but hopefully it will clear up later on.**

CHAPTER 22

_Lightpaw stared at Shadepaw happily, wondering _how her brother and sister were doing, especially Stonepaw. When Russetfur declared war, Shadepaw's dark fur bristled.

_I can't fight Shadepaw!_ Lightpaw's mind shouted. _She's Stonepaw's sister, and Stonepaw would hate me if I hurt him or his sisters!_

"Firestar, the wise choice would be to give us the territory," Smokefoot growled. Russetfur nodded and didn't order the dark gray tom to keep quiet. Firestar shook his head calmly. "Of course we won't, and we won't be scared to fight with ShadowClan to keep my territory."

Lightpaw wanted to defend her Clan, but she couldn't hurt any of Stonepaw's Clanmates! If she did, Stonepaw might not like her anymore. But the warrior code said she had to be loyal to her Clanmates, no matter what. Giving herself a quick nod, she stepped up beside Graystripe, trying to look the least bit threatening to the fierce ShadowClan warriors.

"You'd better watch your backs, ThunderClan," Russetfur growled, turning around. "We _will _win that piece of territory, Firestar!"

The ginger tom didn't look threatened. Instead, he ordered his warriors, "Stormfur, Sandstorm, Ashfur, escort these ShadowClanners back to their camp."

Lightpaw bounced over to her leader. "May I go? Please? Thornclaw already taught me how to leap-and-hold, incase there's a fight!"

Firestar chuckled and twitched his whiskers. "Sure. I'll make sure they don't loose you." Lightpaw beamed. Firestar had enough trust in her to let her escort ShadowClan cats!

Lightpaw bounded over to the patrol. Shadepaw glanced over at Lightpaw and purred at her coming. "You get to come with us?" she asked, her voice smooth and gentle. Lightpaw nodded and padded alongside her friend. "How are Stonepaw and Frostpaw?" she asked.

Sighing, Shadepaw meowed, "Stonepaw is about to starve, and Frostpaw is trying to heal him with her traveling herbs." Lightpaw widened her eyes. "He's going to starve? Firestar _has _to give you the territory! He…I don't know what I'd do if he didn't!"

"No, Lightpaw," Shadepaw argued gently. "It's your territory. I don't agree with taking that much land, but I do think that we should be able to have a tiny sliver of yours, and a tiny sliver of RiverClan's."

Lightpaw nodded, relieved that her friend slightly agreed with her. "I hope Stonepaw is alright. How is your mother?" Shadepaw lowered her eyes. "Snowbird is about to die too. We really need this prey."

Suddenly, an idea struck Lightpaw like lightning. "You know what? I'm going to help you!" she whispered excitedly. "Don't tell! I'm going to go out into the forest and hunt for you! Meet me at the border at dusk every other day, okay?"

Shadepaw's blue eyes widened. "Oh, no, Lightpaw, that's against the warrior code!"

"So is seeing Stonepaw every few days!"

"True, true. I'll do it, but I won't guarantee that you will stay out of trouble."

"I know, and I don't mind," Lightpaw meowed, but as soon as she thought about it, she realized that she did mind. She had just become an apprentice, and what would happen if a warrior ran into her giving the prey to Shadepaw? They might tell Hollytail or Thornclaw, or even worse…Brambleclaw or Firestar! Firestar could adjourn her warrior ceremony!

"Are you sure?" Shadepaw asked. "It's extremely risky. I could get into trouble, too, you know!" Lightpaw nodded. "I know, I know, but just trust me on this."

Shadepaw sighed. "I trust you."

Relief flooded through Lightpaw. They talked about their training, but were shushed by Ashfur. _Who cares?_ Lightpaw thought. _I can now save ShadowClan, and no cat can stop me from hunting for two Clans, as long as I hunt for ThunderClan as well!_

Lightpaw stepped back into camp, and was surprisingly not asked any questions about her short journey. Ashfur and Sandstorm disappeared into the warriors' den, while Stormfur met Brook at the entrance of the nursery. Brook's belly was getting larger every day, and she would bear kits soon.

"Hey, Lightpaw," Ashenpaw greeted. "How was it?"

"Fine, I guess."

Ashenpaw studied his sister for a moment. "Cool," he meowed, and padded into the apprentices' den. Most of the cats were off in their dens, except for Cloudtail (who was guarding the camp), Graystripe and Millie (who were sharing a robin), and Firestar and Brambleclaw (who were lying under the Highledge, talking quietly).

For once, Lightpaw was alone. She had no friends to talk to at the moment, and she couldn't go hunting or training. Perhaps she could clean out the elders' den? No, she wasn't _that _desperate to find something to do. She slumped into the den and curled up between Thrushpaw and Nightpaw.

"Is something wrong, Lightpaw?" Thrushpaw asked quietly, brushing her flank against her sister's. Lightpaw shook her head and lied, "Nothing, I'm just tired."

"Go to sleep, then."

"Okay, good night, Thrushpaw."

"Good night, Lightpaw."

It was quiet for a while. Every time Lightpaw closed her eyes, she saw the motionless figure of Stonepaw, his ribs sticking out and his gray fur matted to his body, his eyes staring blankly at the sky.

Lightpaw finally fell into a light sleep, but not before praying a silent prayer of health for Stonepaw and Snowbird to StarClan. She even prayed that Blackstar would be well again. She would do whatever it took to save her best friend's Clanmates, even if it meant breaking the warrior code, or having her warrior ceremony postponed.

**Wow, Lightpaw's determined, is she not? Bad and boring ending, I know, but sometimes it's just hard to find a place to stop that's not too short or too long. Please don't make any comments about the ending. And no flames!**

**xx-Starfall-xx**


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

Hey, I'm back again

**Hey, I'm back again. I'm so close to finishing this story! Only three more chapters and epilogue! I've gone through a lot of trouble thinking of plots for this story, but it's my biggest hit. I have 78 reviews. That's a lot for 22 chapters! Anyway, here's chapter 23.**

CHAPTER 23

"_Where's Lightpaw?" Thornclaw asked Thrushpaw at _dusk. "I want to take her on the evening patrol."

Thrushpaw shrugged. "She said she was going hunting." Thornclaw widened his amber eyes. "With whom?"

"By herself."

"That's against the warrior code!"

Those words hit Thrushpaw like a huge gust of wind. It was, unless you were at least 8 moons of age! Thrushpaw and her siblings were only a little older than 6 moons. "Go find her," Thornclaw ordered. "Take Hollytail with you." Thrushpaw was about to protest that he wasn't her mentor and he couldn't tell her what to do, but he was a senior warrior, and they could boss apprentices and warriors around all they wanted.

Nodding, Thrushpaw slipped away and bounded to Hollytail, who was devouring a wood mouse with Squirrelflight. "What's wrong, Thrushpaw?" Hollytail asked her kit when she approached.

"Lightpaw went hunting by herself without permission!" Thrushpaw panted. Hollytail glanced at Squirrelflight. "She asked me before she could go," Hollytail meowed.

Thrushpaw sighed in relief. "Are you sure?" Squirrelflight nodded. "I was there when she asked."

"Okay, so should I just tell Thornclaw to take another apprentice on the evening patrol?"

"I guess."

"Fine." Thrushpaw left at those words and hurried to Thornclaw. "Lightpaw got permission from Hollytail to go hunting alone."

Thornclaw sighed. "Okay, would you like to come on the evening patrol with Brightheart and me?"

"I'd love to, but I'm going tomorrow night."

"Whom shall I take, then?"

"Nightpaw."

Thornclaw nodded and padded into the apprentices' den. Thrushpaw followed the golden-brown tabby and heard a loud voice shout, _"Nightpaw!"_ Thrushpaw pushed her way into the den. Thornclaw was standing beside Nightpaw, whose black fur was bristling and her green eyes wide.

"You're on the evening patrol with Brightheart and me," Thornclaw growled. Nightpaw nodded and rose to her paws, yawning. "Why were you asleep?" Thrushpaw asked as the two apprentices exited the den.

"I was tired, is all," Nightpaw mumbled. Thrushpaw stared worriedly at her sister, but didn't ask any more questions. Instead she watched her sister pad away after Brightheart and Thornclaw.

Thrushpaw was sleepy as well. She had battle trained hard that sunhigh, and she had also gone on a hunting patrol with the very proud Whitewing.

Thrushpaw quickly shared a sparrow with Ashenpaw, shared tongues with him, and before she could even stand up, Nightpaw darted into the camp, her eyes wide and her fur bristling. She had a patch of fur missing from her left shoulder and blood trickled down the wound.

Firestar immediately leapt to his paws and raced over to Nightpaw. "What happened?" he demanded. Nightpaw panted and gasped, "ShadowClan attacked our evening patrol!"

Warriors swarmed the clearing around Brambleclaw, who called out orders. "Dustpelt, you will be the first party. Choose five warriors to go with you, and one apprentice."

"Cloudtail, Sorreltail, Mousefoot, Cinderpelt, Birchfall, and Ashenpaw."

The seven ThunderClan cats darted up the thorn tunnel and disappeared through the trees.

"Brambleclaw, you will be the second party. Pick four warriors and an apprentice."

"I choose Brackenfur, Spiderleg, Hazelwhisker, Poppyleaf, Lionclaw, and Thrushpaw."

Thrushpaw glanced up when her name was called. Lionclaw flicked his tail for his niece to follow him to the thorn tunnel. She pelted through the tunnel between Poppyleaf and Lionclaw. Brambleclaw raced determinedly at the front with Spiderleg beside him.

Once the cats reached the ShadowClan border, Thrushpaw peered through the undergrowth. She saw Mousefoot tussle with Owlwing, while Ashenpaw rolled over on the ground with Tigerpaw. Rowanclaw and Smokefoot were mobbing Sorreltail. Thrushpaw's paws itched to spring into action and help her, but she stayed put.

Brambleclaw let out a yowl that sent the next party of ThunderClan warriors swarming into the battle. Thrushpaw leaped onto Smokefoot, who hissed and pinned her to the ground. Thrushpaw scrabbled at his underbelly with her hind claws and sank her teeth into his ear. Smokefoot grabbed Thrushpaw by the scruff and flung her away from the battle. She skidded to the ground and lay at a pair of golden-brown paws.

Prey-scent filled Thrushpaw's nostrils. Lightpaw was crouching in front of Thrushpaw with a blackbird, a mouse, and a vole beside her. Thrushpaw jumped to her paws. "Lightpaw, what are you doing here? Why don't you go help fight?"

"I…" Lightpaw mumbled. "I…I can't." Thrushpaw took a step back and sank her claws into the soot. "Why? Don't you want to keep our territory?"

"W…well, yes, but…" Lightpaw stared at her paws. "Did you see a dark gray tabby apprentice in the battle?" Thrushpaw wondered why Lightpaw was so curious about this, but she glanced over at the battle. "No."

Lightpaw let out a sigh of relief, scraped some dirt over her prey, and dashed into the battle with Thrushpaw.

_Why wasn't Lightpaw helping ThunderClan?_

**Of course, we always have to end the chapters with questions, huh? Two more chapters and an epilogue! Yay! **

**xx-Starfall-xx**


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

Here's chapter 24

**Here's chapter 24! By the way, I've decided to do the allegiances after the prologue. I don't have ****Outcast****, but I have ****The Dark River****, so if some of the fur colors or names are wrong, well, sorry.**

CHAPTER 24

_Nightpaw tossed Dawnpaw off of her _and scrambled to her paws. She noticed Lightpaw fighting side-by-side with Thrushpaw against Tigerpaw. _When did Lightpaw join the battle? _Nightpaw wondered.

Suddenly, Nightpaw felt a heavy weight crash down upon her. At first she thought it was Firestar, because it was the same flame-colored fur as him, but she soon recognized Rowanclaw, a senior warrior. Nightpaw flipped over the best she could and flailed her unsheathed claws at his face.

_Yes, that's good. Quick, move to the side!_

A voice in Nightpaw's head seemed to be telling her what to do. She swerved away from Rowanclaw's outstretched claws and slashed his nose.

_Bite his tail._

Nightpaw clamped her jaws around the ginger tom's tail and clawed his haunches. Rowanclaw snapped his teeth at Nightpaw's tail, but she moved away from his reach.

_Let go and leap over his head._

Some of the words didn't seem to make sense until it was the right time to follow them. Nightpaw let Rowanclaw's tail free and watched as he spun around and charged toward her. Nightpaw leaped and soared over his head. She stretched out her claws, dug them into his pelt, and rolled over with him in a tangle of claws and fur.

_Now pin him down._

Nightpaw pressed her paw against Rowanclaw's neck and the other on his belly.

_Great job, Nightpaw. I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight._

Nightpaw finally let go of the senior warrior, hoping Sorreltail had seen her. The tortoiseshell was staring at her apprentice, beaming in pride, before being bowled over by a small tabby tom.

Nightpaw quickly glanced at the sky. It was dark and the moon was almost full. _It already is tonight,_ Nightpaw thought.

Once again, the voice in her head spoke. _In your dreams, Nightpaw. I will speak with you in your dreams._

Finally, Nightpaw realized who this voice belonged to-Tigerstar! He had been coaching her the whole way through the fight with Rowanclaw, and she had won. She watched the flame-colored tom dart back onto his side of the territory.

Nightpaw leapt onto Tawnypelt, who had Hazelwhisker pinned down against the ground.

_Rip her fur off!_

Tigerstar's voice sounded angry and fierce. Nightpaw wanted to please Tigerstar, but she didn't want to kill any cat. She sank her claws into Tawnypelt's shoulders and bit down onto the she-cat's ear. Tawnypelt reared onto her hind legs, and one of Nightpaw's paws slipped. She struggled to keep on Tawnypelt's back, but it was too late. Nightpaw fell off with a thud and waited for Tawnypelt to sink her fangs into her throat.

Tawnypelt pinned Nightpaw down and gasped. "You…you're Hollypaw's kit!" Nightpaw lifted her head. "She's Hollytail now, and yes, I am. What's it to you?" Tawnypelt looked curious. "I'm Brambleclaw's sister."

Shock hit Nightpaw like lightning. Brambleclaw had a sister from another Clan? Was Brambleclaw half-blood? If he was, that meant…Hollytail, Lionclaw, and Jaypaw were half-blood, as well. If Hollytail was too, then…Nightpaw and her siblings were half ShadowClan!

"Brambleclaw…is originally from ShadowClan?" Nightpaw asked. Tawnypelt shook her head. "We can't talk now. I'll see you at the next Gathering." Tawnypelt lifted her paws off of Nightpaw and let her go.

Stunned, Nightpaw watched the tortoiseshell she-cat dash away and fling herself onto Cinderpelt. The black apprentice turned around at the sound of a yowl. Blackstar was appearing into the battle.

_No fair!_ Nightpaw thought scornfully. _Blackstar gets to fight? We should go get Firestar to help us!_

Nightpaw felt a sharp sting on her spine. A dark gray tabby apprentice was raking her claws down Nightpaw's back. Lightpaw, who had just fought off Dawnpaw, stared in horror at the apprentice that was attacking Nightpaw. Lightpaw turned and raced back into the forest, away from the battle.

_What's her problem?_

Nightpaw twisted around and skidded across the ground on her paws. The gray she-cat leaped at Nightpaw, while Tigerstar continued to speak in the ThunderClan she-cat's mind.

_Remember what I taught you during our first training session? Crawl under her and bash her nose!_

Nightpaw slithered under the apprentice, but the plan backfired. The dark gray apprentice grabbed Nightpaw's head with her forepaws and flipped her over on her back against the ground. The apprentice pinned Nightpaw down. Nightpaw, who wasn't willing to give up so easily, slashed her claws across the ShadowClan cat's nose.

The apprentice drew back, so Nightpaw had the chance to writhe herself out from the ShadowClan cat's grip. Nightpaw threw herself onto the apprentice, but let out a yowl of agony as the gray tabby slashed her claws across her muzzle. Nightpaw glared at the ShadowClan she-cat through watery green eyes. Yowling, Nightpaw slashed her claws down the she-cat's flank.

_No! Watch out!_

Nightpaw spun around and felt teeth meet her hind leg. Nightpaw hissed and wrenched herself free.

_Great job! Now-_

Tigerstar never finished his instructions. Brambleclaw yowled, "Retreat, ThunderClan! Blackstar, you can have as much territory until the stream, but go no farther than that!"

Nightpaw drew back from the gray tabby she-cat, who looked triumphant. Nightpaw gave her one last menacing hiss before turning tail and hurrying over to the patrols.

ThunderClan had lost.

**Yes, such a surprise, isn't it, knowing that ThunderClan practically wins every battle they fight? I am in love with ShadowClan, and I hate ThunderClan, so I thought that ShadowClan should win **_**something. **_**One more chapter, an epilogue, and allegiances until the end!**

**xx-Starfall-xx**


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

Hey, I've already got chapter 25 up

**Hey, I've already got chapter 25 up. It's the last chapter before the epilogue!**

CHAPTER 25

"_Hold still, Ashenpaw," Jaypaw meowed as _he spread some stinging poultice on a wound on Ashenpaw's flank. Sighing, Ashenpaw stopped squirming and winced as the liquid touched his scars. He would probably have that scar forever, reminding him of the horrible battle that his Clan had lost.

"Okay, I'm done," Jaypaw mewed. "Just be careful with your tail and your arm. Try not to move them much, if you can help it." Ashenpaw nodded and slipped out of the den, where Thrushpaw was waiting for him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes," Ashenpaw sighed. "I just hurt my tail and arm pretty badly. I'll be fine, though. You?"

"I just hurt my shoulder pretty badly when I was flung into that tree. Shadepaw scratched my belly, too."

"Shadepaw?"

Thrushpaw glanced around. "She's a dark gray tabby she-cat from ShadowClan. I only know her name because…I, um, heard a cat call her name." Ashenpaw could tell Thrushpaw was lying; she was a terrible at it, but he didn't say anything. Ashenpaw gave a small nod. "I hope Brackenfur saw how well I fought with Tigerpaw."

Ashenpaw thought back earlier that night before moonhigh. He had tackled the dark tabby tom and threw him across the battle clearing. Thrushpaw nodded. "I saw."

"I saw you get pinned down by Smokefoot in the very beginning. He threw you against the tree and you stayed there for a long time," Ashenpaw recalled. "I thought he'd killed you."

Thrushpaw twitched her whiskers and yawned. "Nope. But I'm exhausted. Firestar said he'd come out to check if warriors and apprentices were sleep, and if we aren't, he's going to make us clean the elders' den tomorrow."

"We should go to sleep, then," Ashenpaw agreed.

"But first I need to talk to Lightpaw," Thrushpaw meowed. Ashenpaw watched his golden-brown sister pad into the apprentices' den and reappear with Lightpaw. They looked identical in almost every way; they both had broad shoulders, golden-brown tabby fur, and long legs. The only thing different about them was their eye color. Thrushpaw's were amber, like Ashenpaw's, and Lightpaw's eyes were green, like Nightpaw's.

Their fur blended with each other's as they padded to the edge of the stone wall. Thrushpaw began talking, while Lightpaw looked ashamed. Ashenpaw wondered what they were talking about, but he shrugged it off and hurried into the apprentices' den so Firestar wouldn't catch him awake so late.

Ashenpaw peered around some reeds and kept his belly close to the ground. He saw a familiar black she-cat sitting on the ground, flicking her tail in pleasure, her green eyes shining. Nightpaw.

Two large dark tabby toms were padding around Nightpaw in circles, looking pleased, and meowing something Ashenpaw couldn't understand very well. All he could make out were some random words. "Great…jumped…amazing! You…her…pinned…flank…job!" the bigger tabby tom was mewing, while the slightly smaller one nodded.

Ashenpaw crept a few pawsteps closer and was able to hear the rest of their words. "That was a great fighting technique, I must admit. I know how to do it, too. Would you like me to teach you?" the big tabby asked.

Nightpaw nodded, looking quite happy, and listened to every word the huge tom said. "You start off like you're about to slither under my belly. Try to." He leaped, and at first Ashenpaw thought he was going to rip Nightpaw's fur off.

Nightpaw crawled under his belly, but the tabby tom grasped her head in his massive sheathed paws, and flung her onto the ground, back first, and was pinned down by the tom.

"Do you think you can do that?" the tom asked.

"To be honest," Nightpaw answered, "I don't think I can throw you. You're bigger than I am, Tigerstar."

Tigerstar.

The name rang in Ashenpaw's head and sent chills up his spine. His neck fur prickled.

"I know who you _can _throw, though, Nightpaw," the smaller tabby meowed. He glanced over directly at Ashenpaw.

"Come out, Ashenpaw."

Ashenpaw raised his head and shrank back against the tabby toms' amber stares. "It's all right, Ashenpaw," the small tom meowed. "We won't hurt you. We're giving you and Nightpaw private training lessons. Don't you want to be powerful, like us?"

Tigerstar nodded. "We know you've been listening, Ashenpaw, and we're not mad. You were very sneaky and quiet. I like how you didn't run away, like a startled kittypet. Why don't you come train with us?"

The praise calmed Ashenpaw, and so did the fact that Nightpaw was with him, so he slowly padded over to the cats. "We must start over from the beginning," the small tom told Tigerstar.

Tigerstar nodded. "That we do, Hawkfrost, that we do. Nightpaw, can you demonstrate the under-the-belly technique for Ashenpaw, here?"

Nightpaw nodded and crouched down. "Leap at me, Ashenpaw. But keep your claws sheathed." Ashenpaw didn't know what to do. He didn't want to hurt his sister, but the two tabbies looked powerful and threatening, so he crouched and leaped.

He felt fur brush his belly and suddenly, a black paw whacked his nose. Amber eyes watering, he skidded into the reeds. "You…you didn't tell me you were going to do that!" he protested to Nightpaw.

Nightpaw flicked her tail and sat down beside Hawkfrost. "I wasn't supposed to. Do your enemies tell you when they're about to rake their claws down your flanks?" Ashenpaw thought about it, and then shook his head. "I suppose not."

Nodding, Nightpaw mewed, "Exactly. Now try on me. Just crawl under my belly when I leap, and hit my nose with your paw when I land."

Ashenpaw stood up, dipped his head respectfully to Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, and waited for Nightpaw to leap.

**Kind of a cliffie there, but not really. Well, did you like the story? All I need to do now is type up the epilogue and allegiances, and I'm done with ****Untold Secrets-Book 1****! Tell me what you think, okay? I'm not usually begging for reviews, but I'd really appreciate feedback. Thanks!**

**xx-Starfall-xx**


	27. Epilogue

Great

**Great! This is the epilogue! I'm really excited, because I'm so close to beginning ****The Fake Prophecy****! Also, the epilogue won't be as long as a regular chapter, so just remember that. Here it is.**

EPILOGUE

_Lightpaw passed Shadepaw the blackbird and_ the water vole before turning around, grabbing her mouse, and returning back to camp. "Hey, Lightpaw," Thrushpaw called. "Great catch." She lowered her voice. "Did you give Shadepaw the rest?"

Lightpaw nodded and dropped her mouse. Her eyes were bright as she spoke. "She said Stonepaw is healthy and well-fed again, thanks to me, and so is Snowbird. She was about to die, you know."

Thrushpaw chuckled. "Yes, I know, Lightpaw. You told me twice yesterday and once this morning."

The setting red sun cast long, thin shadows along the sooty ground. "Has any ShadowClan cat caught Shadepaw yet?" Thrushpaw asked. Lightpaw shook her head. "Not that she mentioned. I really hope not. I don't want her to get in trouble because of me. I mean, all I want to do is help her Clan flourish."

Thrushpaw nodded. "I understand, Lightpaw, but you realize you can't do this forever. It's almost new-leaf. Prey is about to start popping out from every corner."

Lightpaw sighed and nodded. She knew Thrushpaw was right; ShadowClan wouldn't be starving forever. Besides, they had won ThunderClan territory until the stream. They should have enough prey now, but Shadepaw claimed that Littlecloud was slightly malnourished, as well as some of the older warriors. The only prey Lightpaw had managed to catch beside the stream was water voles and a couple starlings.

Sighing again, Lightpaw picked up the mouse and laid it on the fresh-kill pile. It wasn't overflowing with prey, nor lacking it, it was just medium. Normal. New-leaf would certainly bring more prey into the forest.

Lightpaw had shared a rabbit with Ashenpaw before leaving to hunt for ShadowClan. She wasn't as full as she was if she ate after hunting, but the rabbit had filled her up to where she could wait until morning. She was on the dawn patrol after all, so she could eat earlier.

"Lightpaw, we're going training after the dawn patrol, okay?" Thornclaw called, catching up to his apprentice. Lightpaw nodded cheerfully and gave a little bounce. "Can we learn to fish tomorrow?" she asked.

Thornclaw laughed and twitched his whiskers. "Of course not. We're not RiverClan, you know."

"I know, I was kidding. Are we battle training?"

Thornclaw nodded. "Yes. I hope you've regained your strength since the battle."

Lightpaw thought back to the battle, which had been three days ago. Thornclaw hadn't been picked to fight in it, but he had been guarding the camp throughout the battle. "I'm fine, Thornclaw."

Her mentor dipped his head in good-bye and retreated into the warriors' den. Lightpaw watched him go and longed to talk to him more, as if a lonely kit waiting for someone to play with her.

Lightpaw sat there for a moment, watching the sunset. The only beam of light was the tiny sliver of red above the horizon when Lightpaw stood, shook her golden-brown-striped pelt, and padded into the nursery. Millie was stretched out on her side with three tiny, newborn kits curled up against her belly.

"What are their names again?" Lightpaw asked; she had forgotten the names Millie had told her the previous day when she'd had the kits. Millie glanced up, apparently startled. "Oh, it's you, Lightpaw. My kits' names? The gray tom is Smokekit, the gray and white tom is Littlekit, and the silver tabby she-cat is Silverkit."

**Don't get the ending? Silverstream was a silver tabby she-cat, so she was either reborn, or Silverkit was just named after her. I really hope you liked my story! If I get enough reviews I will make a second story. If I do make one, it will be later on when I'm finished with ****Heart of Fire: Soul of Cinders****, okay? Thanks for reading! The next and last chapter will be the allegiances. I might borrow ****Outcast**** from my friend Riverstripes, but she's at camp and won't be back for a week. This story won't be finished for a whole other week! CURSE YOU, RIVERSTRIPES!! Just kidding. Thanks, people, for reading my story!**

**xx-Starfall-xx**


	28. Allegiances

**Okay, I finally got Outcast. I hope there aren't any mistakes.**

_**ThunderClan**_

**Leader-** Firestar-ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

**Deputy-** Brambleclaw-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat-** Leafpool-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Jaypaw**

**Warriors-**

Squirrelflight-dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice, Foxpaw**

Dustpelt- dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm-pale ginger she-cat

**Apprentice, Icepaw**

Cloudtail-long-haired white tom

Brackenfur-golden brown tabby tom

**Apprentice, Ashenpaw**

Sorreltail-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Nightpaw**

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom

**Apprentice, Lightpaw**

Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches

Ashfur-pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

Spiderleg-long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Stormfur-dark gray tom with amber eyes, formerly of RiverClan

Whitewing-white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice, Thrushpaw**

Birchfall-light brown tabby tom

Graystripe-long-haired gray tom

Berrytail- cream-colored tom with a short tail

Mousefoot- gray and white tom

Hazelwhisker- gray and white she-cat

Cinderpelt- gray tabby she-cat

Honeywhisker- light brown tabby she-cat

Poppyleaf- tortoiseshell she-cat

Lionclaw- golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Hollytail- black she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices-**

Jaypaw-gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Foxpaw- reddish tabby tom

Icepaw- white she-cat

Ashenpaw- black tom with amber eyes

Nightpaw- black she-cat with green eyes

Lightpaw- golden-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Thrushpaw- golden-brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens-**

Daisy-cream long-furred cat from horseplace, mother of Spiderleg's kits- Rosekit (dark cream she-cat) and Toadkit (black and white tom)

Brook Where Small Fish Swim (Brook)- brown tabby she-cat, formerly of the Tribe of Rushing Water, mother of Stormfur's unborn kits

Millie- silver tabby she-cat, formerly a kittypet, mother of Graystripe's kits- Smokekit (longhaired gray tom), Littlekit (gray and white tom), and Silverkit (silver tabby she-cat)

**Elders-**

Longtail-pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight

Mousefur-small dusky brown she-cat

_**ShadowClan**_

**Leader-** Blackstar-large white tom with huge jet-black paws

**Deputy-** Russetfur-dark ginger she-cat

**Apprentice, Flamepaw**

**Medicine Cat-** Littlecloud-very small tabby tom

**Apprentice, Frostpaw**

**Warriors-**

Oakfur-small brown tom

**Apprentice, Tigerpaw**

Rowanclaw-ginger tom

**Apprentice, Dawnpaw**

Smokefoot-black tom

**Apprentice, Stonepaw**

Snowbird-pure-white she-cat

Tawnypelt- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice, Shadepaw**

Ivytail- wiry brown she-cat

Owlwing- mottled brown tabby tom

Toadfoot- dark brown tom

**Apprentices-**

Flamepaw- flame-colored tom

Tigerpaw- dark tabby tom

Dawnpaw- tortoiseshell she-cat

Frostpaw- white she-cat

Stonepaw- handsome gray tom

Shadepaw- dark gray tabby she-cat

**Queens-** none at the moment

**Elders-** Cedarheart-dark gray tom

Tallpoppy-long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

_**WindClan**_

**Leader-** Onestar-brown tabby tom

**Deputy-** Ashfoot-gray she-cat

**Apprentice, Swallowpaw**

**Medicine Cat-** Barkface-short-tailed brown tom

**Apprentice, Kestrelwing**

**Warriors-**

Crowfeather-dark gray tom

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom

**Apprentice, Sedgepaw**

Whitetail-small white she-cat

Nightcloud-black she-cat

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

**Apprentice, Thistlepaw **

Harespring- brown-and-white tom

Gorsetail- very pale gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Breezeclaw- black tom with amber eyes

**Apprentices-**

Kestrelwing- gray tabby tom

Swallowpaw- dark brown tabby she-cat

Sedgepaw- pale gray tom

Thistlepaw- dark gray tabby she-cat

**Queens-**

Heatherwhisker- pretty light brown she-cat with violet-tinged blue eyes, mother of Breezeclaw's unborn kits

**Elders-**

Morningflower- very old tortoiseshell queen

Tornear- tabby tom

Webfoot-dark gray tabby tom

_**RiverClan**_

**Leader-** Leopardstar- unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

**Deputy-** Mistyfoot- gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat-** Mothwing- dappled golden she-cat

**Apprentice, Willowsong**

**Warriors-**

Blackclaw- smoky black tom

Voletooth- small brown tabby tom

**Apprentice, Sneezepaw**

Reedwhisker- black tom

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Beechfur-light brown tom

Rippletail-dark gray tabby tom

**Apprentice, Mallowpaw**

Dawnflower- pale gray she-cat

Pouncetail- ginger-and-white tom

Minnowtail- small gray-and-white she-cat with downy fur and amber eyes

Pebblefoot- gray tom

Graymist- pale gray tabby she-cat

**Apprentices-**

Willowsong- slender pale gray she-cat

Sneezepaw- white she-cat

Mallowpaw- pale gray tabby tom

**Queens-**

Dapplenose- mottled gray she-cat, mother of Pouncetail's unborn kits

Icewing- white she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Pricklekit, Beetlekit, Petalkit, and Grasskit

**Elders-**

Heavystep-thickest tabby tom

Swallowtail-dark tabby she-cat

Stonestream-gray tom

_**Other Animals**_

Pip-black-and-white terrier that lives with Twolegs near the horseplace

**Well, if there are any mistakes, just tell me and I will try to fix them! Yay, I finally finished ****Untold Secrets Book 1****!! If I get at least 85 to 90 reviews, I will make a second book. Thanks for reading and reviewing, my wonderful readers and reviewers. Bye!**

**xx-Starfall-xx**


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